Q: I have a question concerning 1 Thess 4:11 and also 1 Tim 2:2. In both verses, we are instructed to `lead quiet and peaceable` lives. I understand a `quiet life,` pertains to not causing social problems, I am to stay out of others` business that does not pertain to me, and I am to live peaceably externally and internally. Recently I have been offered a position to become a financial advisor. In that career I am instructed to go door to door and try to build as many clients as possible. I am to talk to them about their financial goals and help them set up a plan to reach their goals. If they say no, I am to go back several times and not take no for an answer (just like any salesman). To me, this seems like not living a quiet and peaceable life, in others business, and could cause problems to the ones I am continuing to go back and see. In the NIV version,in 1 Thess 4:11-12, it says to not be dependent on anybody. As a financial advisor I would be dependent on the customer buying a security, it would be all commission based. I am wondering if you think the text written pertains to the situation I am in. I was also wondering if you could give me some scripture to look at and meditate on that would help me understand the gift that God has given me, to help me build His kingdom and bring Glory to His name through me being a part of the church in the workplace.
A: The context of 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 is about fellow believers loving each other and abstaining from the activities of unbelievers like sexual immorality. As the passage concludes it talks about leading a quiet life and working with your hands so as to "win the respect of outsiders." When you are not sinning against another individual it is because you are loving them. The love we have for others does not originate solely from within ourselves. "In this love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10)." When we are resting in the love God has shown towards us, in Christ, we will not seek to obtain from others that which they cannot provide. Therefore, we will not be sinning against them. When "outsiders" see us loving on each other they will have a certain esteem and honor for us because the love we have is not something readily seen by the world. Applying this to your financial advisor position you can see how it would not be a loving act to keep bothering people who have already given you their decision. The best thing to do would be to move on to another prospect until someone is interested.
Similarly, in 1 Timothy 2:2, you have the same author, Paul, urging his readers to pray and make requests to God on behalf of "kings and all those in authority." This is understandable since it is those that are in leadership that make decisions that effect our everyday lives. We all desire that these men and women would be inclined to seek out the instruction of the Lord when making those important decisions. If they do, we can be assured that our lives would be more peaceful and quiet because there would be no conflict between serving the Lord and being a citizen of whatever state or country we live in. The desire of Paul is made clear a few verses later. "I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing (1 Timothy 2:8)." When there is unity amongst leadership and the citizens there is little to no anger or disputing. One need look no further than our present political situation for an example of what it is like when you don't have people in leadership turning towards God for direction.
The scriptures you refer to could loosely be applied to your situation. I have worked in the financial industry for over 10 years. On occasion I have been asked to sell and had the opportunity to work on a commission only basis. The appeal of such an endeavor is that it offers the chance at financial freedom or, as many would say, getting paid what you're worth. Unfortunately, to make enough sales in order to make a living, or to achieve financial freedom, you have to endure being told "no" allot more than you will hear "yes." Quite a few people have walked away from these careers for that reason. Also, as you alluded to in your question, you have been asked to compromise your ethics and integrity in order to make a sale. If someone says they are not interested in a product, I would not continue to pester them about purchasing your services. At best, you may be able to get referrals from them if they know of people who may be interested in your product. My advice to you is to walk away from the career before you are faced with having to choose between engaging in unethical behavior or putting food on your table.
One thing that you should be aware of regarding advancing the Kingdom of God is that He doesn't need your ability, just your availability. Whether or not you choose to become a financial advisor doesn't determine God's ability to use you. What you need to understand is that your right standing with God is not based on anything you do for Him, but it has everything to do with what God has done for you in the Person of Jesus Christ. Much of what Christians are taught to do is geared towards pleasing God and gaining His acceptance. What I would advise you to meditate on is the fact that God is already pleased with you and has accepted you because of your faith in Christ. "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God (Romans 15:7)." When you believe this truth about how God sees you everything else will fall into place. As a Christian, along with God's complete acceptance, you have total forgiveness of all your sins (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 2:13). You are totally loved by God (Ephesians 3:17-19; 1 John 4:19; Romans 8:35-39). You are totally righteous in God's eyes (Romans 3:21-22; 2 Corinthians 5:21). You have been totally sanctified (Colossians 1:22; Hebrews 10:10). And you are justified before God (Romans 5:18; Titus 3:7). Knowing you already possess all of this from God will free you to pursue whatever career you want because you will not be concerned if your career choice will prevent you from receiving from God that which you already possess. Then you can go about the business of bearing the fruit of the Spirit God is producing through you so you can share it with those you encounter in your life.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Preacher Knows Best
In Clint Eastwood's 1985 movie, Pale Rider, he plays a character known as Preacher. About halfway through the movie Preacher has a conversation with a man named LaHood who is trying get him to persuade some property owners to vacate their land. During their conversation they bring up the subject of Preacher becoming wealthy if he helps LaHood out. The conversation went something like this:
LaHood: Preacher, my name is Coy LaHood.
Preacher: I know.
LaHood: Do you imbibe, Reverend?
Preacher: Only after 9:00 in the morning.
LaHood: When I heard a (preacher) had come to town I had an image of a pale, scrawny,Bible-thumping Easterner with a linen handkerchief and bad lungs.
Preacher: That's me.
LaHood: Hardly. Your health. It occurred to me it must be difficultfor a man of faith to carry the message on an empty stomach, so to speak. I thought why not invite this devout and humble man to preach in town? Why not let the town be his parish? In fact why not build him a brand-new church?
Preacher: I can see where a preacher'd be mighty tempted by an offer like that. Oh, indeed. Then he'd be thinking about getting himself a batch of new clothes. We'd have them tailor-made. Then he'd start thinking about those Sunday collections.
LaHood: Hell, in a town as rich as LaHood, that preacher'd be a wealthy man.
Preacher: That's why it wouldn't work. Can't serve God and mammon both. Mammon being money.
The moment I heard Eastwood's character say you can't serve God and money, I thought, why does a fictitious character in a 24-year old movie have so much to say to the modern-day Church? I wish some of the preachers of today like Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar and, sadly, pretty much any popular televangelist, would watch this scene over and over. I have never understood why so many so-called Christians think that chasing after wealth is some God-ordained mandate. This terrible premise that has been reinforced to millions of Christians all over the world not only butchers the Word of God, but has chewed up and spit out nearly as many who have received it.
"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?" Ecclesiastes 5:10-11
No one will deny that we have to have money in order to purchase the things we need in this world to survive. However, when we are taught to believe that God wants us to have money and wealth, the result is to start focusing on money and beginning to love it. If we end up mistakenly believing that God wants us to have money then our ability to obtain it becomes the judge of how God views us. If we have money than He must love us. If we don't have it than He doesn't love us. The result is either our pride becomes a problem or we start condemning ourselves. The goal of the Christian becomes the never ending pursuit of wealth and riches. We must ask ourselves two questions:
1. Why would Jesus warn us about forfeiting our souls in pursuit of gaining the world (Matthew 16:26) if we are supposed to gain the world?
2. How do you explain the wealth of people like Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, top Hollywood actors and numerous businessmen and world leaders who achieved their riches apart from any relationship with Christ?
If being a Christian is simply about becoming wealthy than we have relegated the message of Christ to nothing more than just another self-improvement program and lowered Jesus from the level of God to financial guru. Jesus did not come to save that which was broke, He came to save that which was lost. The other day, I had a conversation with a woman who said that Jesus was a millionaire. Give me a break! When I questioned her about it, she back pedaled a bit by saying that He wasn't wealthy in the terms of money, but in terms of all He had to offer. I didn't buy it. If the Kingdom of God were all about being wealthy then somebody forgot to tell Jesus and the
authors of Scripture:
"Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Luke 9:58
"The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me." Mark 14:7
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5
"People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Timothy 6:9-10
Only about one percent of Americans are classified as millionaires. That means of the estimated 300 million citizens of this country only about 3 million of them have achieved that status. I don't think the percentages change much when you throw all 6 billion people of the planet into the mix. Is God only working in the lives of such a small fraction of the people? Of course not. I bet of those wealthy people, only about one percent of them truly know Christ. Regardless of how much money you have in the bank, God wants you focused on Him not your account balance. Jesus had no place to put His head and said that the poor would always be with us. God, through the author of Hebrews, said to keep our lives free from the love of money. And Paul wrote to Timothy of how those who love money have pierced themselves with many griefs. This message is contradictory to the one so many Christians have put faith in. God wants us to be content with what we have. We can't be content when we falsely believe God wants us rich.
The flesh is never satisfied and that is where the pursuit of money only fuels that desire. God understands what His children need to make it in this world. After all, He made the heavens and everything in it. We only need Him. He has given us Himself in the Person of Jesus Christ. When we pursue money aren't we trying to gain the world? How is it then that we have deceived ourselves into believing that by doing so we are pleasing to God? We cannot serve both God and money. If we are serving money than we cannot be serving God. If you have money then use it to advance the Gospel message. If you don't have money then use what you have to advance the Gospel message. God doesn't need your riches because our "God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19)." We already have God's riches in Christ. The poor of this world are those who are dead in their sins. They do not need an infusion of money, but rather an infusion of the life of God through the indwelling of Holy Spirit. This is something available to all who accept Christ by faith not just those have apparently gained the world at the expense of their soul.
LaHood: Preacher, my name is Coy LaHood.
Preacher: I know.
LaHood: Do you imbibe, Reverend?
Preacher: Only after 9:00 in the morning.
LaHood: When I heard a (preacher) had come to town I had an image of a pale, scrawny,Bible-thumping Easterner with a linen handkerchief and bad lungs.
Preacher: That's me.
LaHood: Hardly. Your health. It occurred to me it must be difficultfor a man of faith to carry the message on an empty stomach, so to speak. I thought why not invite this devout and humble man to preach in town? Why not let the town be his parish? In fact why not build him a brand-new church?
Preacher: I can see where a preacher'd be mighty tempted by an offer like that. Oh, indeed. Then he'd be thinking about getting himself a batch of new clothes. We'd have them tailor-made. Then he'd start thinking about those Sunday collections.
LaHood: Hell, in a town as rich as LaHood, that preacher'd be a wealthy man.
Preacher: That's why it wouldn't work. Can't serve God and mammon both. Mammon being money.
The moment I heard Eastwood's character say you can't serve God and money, I thought, why does a fictitious character in a 24-year old movie have so much to say to the modern-day Church? I wish some of the preachers of today like Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar and, sadly, pretty much any popular televangelist, would watch this scene over and over. I have never understood why so many so-called Christians think that chasing after wealth is some God-ordained mandate. This terrible premise that has been reinforced to millions of Christians all over the world not only butchers the Word of God, but has chewed up and spit out nearly as many who have received it.
"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?" Ecclesiastes 5:10-11
No one will deny that we have to have money in order to purchase the things we need in this world to survive. However, when we are taught to believe that God wants us to have money and wealth, the result is to start focusing on money and beginning to love it. If we end up mistakenly believing that God wants us to have money then our ability to obtain it becomes the judge of how God views us. If we have money than He must love us. If we don't have it than He doesn't love us. The result is either our pride becomes a problem or we start condemning ourselves. The goal of the Christian becomes the never ending pursuit of wealth and riches. We must ask ourselves two questions:
1. Why would Jesus warn us about forfeiting our souls in pursuit of gaining the world (Matthew 16:26) if we are supposed to gain the world?
2. How do you explain the wealth of people like Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, top Hollywood actors and numerous businessmen and world leaders who achieved their riches apart from any relationship with Christ?
If being a Christian is simply about becoming wealthy than we have relegated the message of Christ to nothing more than just another self-improvement program and lowered Jesus from the level of God to financial guru. Jesus did not come to save that which was broke, He came to save that which was lost. The other day, I had a conversation with a woman who said that Jesus was a millionaire. Give me a break! When I questioned her about it, she back pedaled a bit by saying that He wasn't wealthy in the terms of money, but in terms of all He had to offer. I didn't buy it. If the Kingdom of God were all about being wealthy then somebody forgot to tell Jesus and the
authors of Scripture:
"Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Luke 9:58
"The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me." Mark 14:7
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5
"People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Timothy 6:9-10
Only about one percent of Americans are classified as millionaires. That means of the estimated 300 million citizens of this country only about 3 million of them have achieved that status. I don't think the percentages change much when you throw all 6 billion people of the planet into the mix. Is God only working in the lives of such a small fraction of the people? Of course not. I bet of those wealthy people, only about one percent of them truly know Christ. Regardless of how much money you have in the bank, God wants you focused on Him not your account balance. Jesus had no place to put His head and said that the poor would always be with us. God, through the author of Hebrews, said to keep our lives free from the love of money. And Paul wrote to Timothy of how those who love money have pierced themselves with many griefs. This message is contradictory to the one so many Christians have put faith in. God wants us to be content with what we have. We can't be content when we falsely believe God wants us rich.
The flesh is never satisfied and that is where the pursuit of money only fuels that desire. God understands what His children need to make it in this world. After all, He made the heavens and everything in it. We only need Him. He has given us Himself in the Person of Jesus Christ. When we pursue money aren't we trying to gain the world? How is it then that we have deceived ourselves into believing that by doing so we are pleasing to God? We cannot serve both God and money. If we are serving money than we cannot be serving God. If you have money then use it to advance the Gospel message. If you don't have money then use what you have to advance the Gospel message. God doesn't need your riches because our "God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19)." We already have God's riches in Christ. The poor of this world are those who are dead in their sins. They do not need an infusion of money, but rather an infusion of the life of God through the indwelling of Holy Spirit. This is something available to all who accept Christ by faith not just those have apparently gained the world at the expense of their soul.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Our next guest is a Christian...
I was speaking with a young Christian lady this afternoon about her faith. From the conversation I gathered that she wasn't very sure about what she believed. Her faith seemed to be defined by what she is doing on a regular basis. She admitted to being water baptised twice, once as a child and later in life. She also confessed to attending church regularly. However, without trying to put her on the spot, I questioned her about what she, any Christian for that matter, would say if prompted to give an answer as to what the Gospel is or why a person needed to be saved by Jesus Christ? She really didn't know. These are questions that I had to answer myself. Many Christians identify their faith through the prism of the denomination they or their family have been affiliated with their entire lives. But, beyond that I wonder how many of these people really know Jesus or why mankind needs saving. We all fear being put on the spot because it is then that we fear our shortcomings will be exposed. It is similar to the fear many have about public speaking. When all eyes are on us it is as if our true lack of understanding will be come out.
We are all familiar with people like Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil, Larry King, Jay Leno or David Letterman. All of them have successful talk shows where the primary focus is interviewing people about what they believe or what they are promoting. Imagine if you, as a Christian, were being interviewed on one of these programs about your faith. Would you be scared that your faith would be exposed as superficial and perhaps fraudulent? I can't say I wouldn't be very nervous. The last thing we want to do is be seen as "letting God down" or disappointing Him or those we love and respect. I could see it now:
Host: "Our next guest is here to talk about their faith in Jesus Christ."
Host: "Welcome to the show."
You: "Thank you."
Then the rapid fire questions begin...
Host: "What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?"
Host: "Why is Jesus the only way to God? Aren't all religions basically saying the same thing?"
Host: "If God is so loving, why does He send people to Hell?"
I think you get the picture. These can be some tough questions, but ones we need to be prepared to answer BEFORE we are put on the spot. If we can't answer these questions confidently and with certainty we need to start questioning what it is we have put our faith in and if we are truly saved!
"Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter,and then to the Twelve." 1 Corinthians 15:1-5
The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the Gospel. All Christians claim to believe in in it, but do all of us know what it means to us and to the rest of the world? Knowing what Christ has done for us is not only the key to our lives as believers, but is at the center of being able to sit on that couch in front of the world and tell millions of viewers the answers to those important questions.
While we may be able to answer that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is His death, burial and resurrection, we need to go further and explain what it means. Jesus had to die because, contrary to popular belief, mankind is not created in the image of God. Adam was created in the image of God, with the life of God indwelling him, but he sinned before he and Eve had any children. Therefore, all of us, mankind, are born in the image of Adam. We are spiritually dead to God without His life indwelling us. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, is the only man ever born with a life to give that would satisfy God's requirement of shed blood needed to take away our sins. This is why no other religious icon, leader, supposed prophet or system of laws and regulations can do for us that which only Jesus was uniquely qualified to accomplish. Mankind needs life. Buddha can't give you life. Moses can't give you life. Mohammad can't give you life. The Pope can't give you life. Your best efforts at upholding your specific religion can't give you life. The only life available to us is the resurrected life of Jesus Christ.
God, in His love for mankind, desired to once again indwell mankind like He did before Adam sinned, the Fall of Man. The death of Jesus Christ cleared the way for God to offer His life again to all mankind. The reason being is that since sin, lack of faith in God, caused God to remove His life from Adam it was necessary for God to deal with sin once and for all so that His life could never be removed again. Therefore, when a person realizes that they are spiritually dead in their sins and accepts the gift of life made available through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, there is no sin that will cause that life to ever leave again. That is why the life a believer has is called an eternal life. That is a life that will carry the individual believer from the day they accept Christ through their natural life and on into eternity.
In essence, all religions are the same because they all require human effort to reach up to God. Hopefully, in our attempts to reach up to God, we will realize that we cannot. Therefore, we will be humbled enough to turn to Christ and accept His offer of eternal life and forgiveness. What greater example of love do we have than what God did for us in the Person of Jesus Christ? Hell is not some place a loving God sends people. Hell is a place people go to because they choose to remain dead in their sins, without the life of God indwelling them. God is not going to drag you into His presence if you do not want to be there. He loves an unbeliever enough to do for them what they cannot do for themselves, in Christ. Yet, He respects them enough to honor their choice to remain apart from Him. If they want to remain apart from God in this life, He will allow them to remain apart from Him throughout eternity. The problem is that since He is God He sets the conditions. His only requirement is faith in Jesus Christ and His death, burial and resurrection.
Most of us won't get the opportunity to contend for the faith on a nationally televised talk show in front of millions of viewers. Any chance we get to share our faith will come in those everyday moments as we go about our lives. Regardless, if we don't know the answers to these questions we won't know if we are even saved much less be able to give a reason for the hope that we have to those we encounter. When we know why Jesus came, why He is the only way to the Father and what His indwelling life means to us, we then will find the desire, motivation and, most importantly, the confidence to share the Gospel. Our Christian experience will not be defined by a shared religious experience. It will be defined by our understanding of, and faith in, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Once this happens we will not have any fear being the guest and answering questions about our God and Savior.
We are all familiar with people like Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil, Larry King, Jay Leno or David Letterman. All of them have successful talk shows where the primary focus is interviewing people about what they believe or what they are promoting. Imagine if you, as a Christian, were being interviewed on one of these programs about your faith. Would you be scared that your faith would be exposed as superficial and perhaps fraudulent? I can't say I wouldn't be very nervous. The last thing we want to do is be seen as "letting God down" or disappointing Him or those we love and respect. I could see it now:
Host: "Our next guest is here to talk about their faith in Jesus Christ."
Host: "Welcome to the show."
You: "Thank you."
Then the rapid fire questions begin...
Host: "What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?"
Host: "Why is Jesus the only way to God? Aren't all religions basically saying the same thing?"
Host: "If God is so loving, why does He send people to Hell?"
I think you get the picture. These can be some tough questions, but ones we need to be prepared to answer BEFORE we are put on the spot. If we can't answer these questions confidently and with certainty we need to start questioning what it is we have put our faith in and if we are truly saved!
"Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter,and then to the Twelve." 1 Corinthians 15:1-5
The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the Gospel. All Christians claim to believe in in it, but do all of us know what it means to us and to the rest of the world? Knowing what Christ has done for us is not only the key to our lives as believers, but is at the center of being able to sit on that couch in front of the world and tell millions of viewers the answers to those important questions.
While we may be able to answer that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is His death, burial and resurrection, we need to go further and explain what it means. Jesus had to die because, contrary to popular belief, mankind is not created in the image of God. Adam was created in the image of God, with the life of God indwelling him, but he sinned before he and Eve had any children. Therefore, all of us, mankind, are born in the image of Adam. We are spiritually dead to God without His life indwelling us. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, is the only man ever born with a life to give that would satisfy God's requirement of shed blood needed to take away our sins. This is why no other religious icon, leader, supposed prophet or system of laws and regulations can do for us that which only Jesus was uniquely qualified to accomplish. Mankind needs life. Buddha can't give you life. Moses can't give you life. Mohammad can't give you life. The Pope can't give you life. Your best efforts at upholding your specific religion can't give you life. The only life available to us is the resurrected life of Jesus Christ.
God, in His love for mankind, desired to once again indwell mankind like He did before Adam sinned, the Fall of Man. The death of Jesus Christ cleared the way for God to offer His life again to all mankind. The reason being is that since sin, lack of faith in God, caused God to remove His life from Adam it was necessary for God to deal with sin once and for all so that His life could never be removed again. Therefore, when a person realizes that they are spiritually dead in their sins and accepts the gift of life made available through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, there is no sin that will cause that life to ever leave again. That is why the life a believer has is called an eternal life. That is a life that will carry the individual believer from the day they accept Christ through their natural life and on into eternity.
In essence, all religions are the same because they all require human effort to reach up to God. Hopefully, in our attempts to reach up to God, we will realize that we cannot. Therefore, we will be humbled enough to turn to Christ and accept His offer of eternal life and forgiveness. What greater example of love do we have than what God did for us in the Person of Jesus Christ? Hell is not some place a loving God sends people. Hell is a place people go to because they choose to remain dead in their sins, without the life of God indwelling them. God is not going to drag you into His presence if you do not want to be there. He loves an unbeliever enough to do for them what they cannot do for themselves, in Christ. Yet, He respects them enough to honor their choice to remain apart from Him. If they want to remain apart from God in this life, He will allow them to remain apart from Him throughout eternity. The problem is that since He is God He sets the conditions. His only requirement is faith in Jesus Christ and His death, burial and resurrection.
Most of us won't get the opportunity to contend for the faith on a nationally televised talk show in front of millions of viewers. Any chance we get to share our faith will come in those everyday moments as we go about our lives. Regardless, if we don't know the answers to these questions we won't know if we are even saved much less be able to give a reason for the hope that we have to those we encounter. When we know why Jesus came, why He is the only way to the Father and what His indwelling life means to us, we then will find the desire, motivation and, most importantly, the confidence to share the Gospel. Our Christian experience will not be defined by a shared religious experience. It will be defined by our understanding of, and faith in, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Once this happens we will not have any fear being the guest and answering questions about our God and Savior.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The Sin of Deception
Q: Is being deceived a sin, Eve was deceived in the garden?
A: I don't believe that being deceived is a sin. I do believe that deceiving others is a sin. When it comes to Eve being deceived in the Garden two things come to mind. First, the covenant that God made was with Adam, not Eve. God told Adam that he was free to eat of any tree in the Garden of Eden, "but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die (Genesis 2:17)." Furthermore, Eve had not even been created at this point in history. She was created shortly after God warned Adam about eating from the wrong tree. Secondly, if we use the deception of Eve as evidence that being deceived is a sin, we have to address how Eve could have been sinning when sin had not entered into the world yet. The Fall of Man, sin entering the world and death through sin, occurred when Adam ate the forbidden fruit. This was after Eve was deceived by the Serpent. If anyone was guilty of a sin it was the Serpent. Satan was aware of the covenant God made with Adam and decided to test Eve's knowledge of that covenant.
The Bible says that the Serpent was craftier than any other animals created by God. Crafty, by definition, means to be "adept in the use of subtlety and cunning." Now, isn't that exactly what we see the Serpent doing when he approaches Eve instead of Adam? "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden' (Genesis 3:1)?" The very question the Serpent asks Eve is one designed to plant doubt in her mind as to what God had said. Scripture doesn't record how Eve came to the knowledge of God's command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Some people have suggested that Adam told Eve of God's command, but either he didn't tell her precisely what he was told or Eve didn't pay close attention. Eve's response to the Serpent is proof of her misunderstanding. She misquotes God as saying "'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die' (Genesis 3:2)." God didn't say anything about not touching the tree, only about not eating from it. The Serpent deceived Eve which, in turn, led to Adam breaking God's command. And the rest is history.
While I don't believe Eve being deceived was a sin, I do think she is a great example to all of us about understanding the Word of God. Much later in Scripture, Eve is used as an example of what not to be like when it comes to our understanding of the Gospel. "But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3)." The Apostle Paul was chastising the Corinthian church for the ease in which they accepted fall doctrines. Just like Eve, they were not familiar with the truth, therefore, they were easy prey for the deception of false teachers. While being deceived is not necessarily a sin, it can lead to sin. The deception of Eve by the Serpent led to sin entering the world. If we are deceived it may not lead to something as catastrophic as the Fall of Man, but it could lead us to accepting and proclaiming unbiblical truths. The results of which could be wide reaching and lead to a variety of terrible outcomes. How many so-called Christians do we see today trapped under false teachings and mislead into cults because, like Eve, they don't know what God has said?
We are admonished by the New Testament authors to "test the spirits (1 John 4:1)," be like the Bereans who "examined the Scriptures every day (Acts 17:11)," be one "who correctly explains the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15)" and "be prepared in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2)." Why? So we can be certain that those teaching us are from God. To see if what we are being taught is true. In order that we will not be ashamed of what we believe. And so we can preach the Word with patience and careful instruction. In other words when you become familiar with the truth you can identify a counterfeit without any problem. Thus, you avoid being deceived by others wishing to take advantage of you for their own selfish gain. The Serpent deceived Eve in order to bring about the Fall of Man. He took advantage of her ignorance of the truth to advance his evil agenda. The lesson that we can take from Eve is to put "on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes (Ephesians 6:11)." By doing so you will have the confidence to avoid being deceived when someone asks you "Did God really say...?"
A: I don't believe that being deceived is a sin. I do believe that deceiving others is a sin. When it comes to Eve being deceived in the Garden two things come to mind. First, the covenant that God made was with Adam, not Eve. God told Adam that he was free to eat of any tree in the Garden of Eden, "but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die (Genesis 2:17)." Furthermore, Eve had not even been created at this point in history. She was created shortly after God warned Adam about eating from the wrong tree. Secondly, if we use the deception of Eve as evidence that being deceived is a sin, we have to address how Eve could have been sinning when sin had not entered into the world yet. The Fall of Man, sin entering the world and death through sin, occurred when Adam ate the forbidden fruit. This was after Eve was deceived by the Serpent. If anyone was guilty of a sin it was the Serpent. Satan was aware of the covenant God made with Adam and decided to test Eve's knowledge of that covenant.
The Bible says that the Serpent was craftier than any other animals created by God. Crafty, by definition, means to be "adept in the use of subtlety and cunning." Now, isn't that exactly what we see the Serpent doing when he approaches Eve instead of Adam? "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden' (Genesis 3:1)?" The very question the Serpent asks Eve is one designed to plant doubt in her mind as to what God had said. Scripture doesn't record how Eve came to the knowledge of God's command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Some people have suggested that Adam told Eve of God's command, but either he didn't tell her precisely what he was told or Eve didn't pay close attention. Eve's response to the Serpent is proof of her misunderstanding. She misquotes God as saying "'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die' (Genesis 3:2)." God didn't say anything about not touching the tree, only about not eating from it. The Serpent deceived Eve which, in turn, led to Adam breaking God's command. And the rest is history.
While I don't believe Eve being deceived was a sin, I do think she is a great example to all of us about understanding the Word of God. Much later in Scripture, Eve is used as an example of what not to be like when it comes to our understanding of the Gospel. "But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3)." The Apostle Paul was chastising the Corinthian church for the ease in which they accepted fall doctrines. Just like Eve, they were not familiar with the truth, therefore, they were easy prey for the deception of false teachers. While being deceived is not necessarily a sin, it can lead to sin. The deception of Eve by the Serpent led to sin entering the world. If we are deceived it may not lead to something as catastrophic as the Fall of Man, but it could lead us to accepting and proclaiming unbiblical truths. The results of which could be wide reaching and lead to a variety of terrible outcomes. How many so-called Christians do we see today trapped under false teachings and mislead into cults because, like Eve, they don't know what God has said?
We are admonished by the New Testament authors to "test the spirits (1 John 4:1)," be like the Bereans who "examined the Scriptures every day (Acts 17:11)," be one "who correctly explains the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15)" and "be prepared in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2)." Why? So we can be certain that those teaching us are from God. To see if what we are being taught is true. In order that we will not be ashamed of what we believe. And so we can preach the Word with patience and careful instruction. In other words when you become familiar with the truth you can identify a counterfeit without any problem. Thus, you avoid being deceived by others wishing to take advantage of you for their own selfish gain. The Serpent deceived Eve in order to bring about the Fall of Man. He took advantage of her ignorance of the truth to advance his evil agenda. The lesson that we can take from Eve is to put "on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes (Ephesians 6:11)." By doing so you will have the confidence to avoid being deceived when someone asks you "Did God really say...?"
Monday, March 23, 2009
United Mess-odist
I was reading in the Denver Post this morning about a local United Methodist Congregation who helped reunite an Iraqi Muslim with his wife and children. This is a great story about love, dedication and the freedom we try and share, as Americans, with the rest of the world. But, I was disturbed when I read the following:
"On Sunday, the church celebrated the reunion of Hussain; his wife, Rasha; and their children, 4 1/2-year-old Karrar and 2 1/2-year-old Haider. Haider was born the day after terrorists shot his father in the leg, setting in motion Emad Hussain's long interfaith journey. "This church saved my family," Hussain said. "They shared my dream. They shared my suffering." Ray Nelson, the man who first adopted Emad and brought him into the church, said no one has any intention of converting the Hussains. "Emad says we're all good Muslims," Nelson said."
No intention of converting the Hussains? This is what the modern day "Church" is coming to. We should just call ourselves 'ians' because Christ is no longer part of the equation in many churches. Shame on the Methodists for this statement. I guess we should just throw the Great Commission out the door. Let us all gather around and tell all the Christian martyrs throughout history, from the apostles on down, that their sacrifice was in vain. And we would have to say that the proclamation of Jesus that He is "the way, the truth and the life" was religious extremism. And of course there was no need for the Lord to die on the cross because there are apparently more ways to heaven than through Him. It makes me sick to my stomach just to even write these things.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised. After all, the United Methodist Church has a slogan that would explain why they wouldn't try to convert a Muslim to Jesus Christ. That slogan reads "Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors." Not to be rude, but maybe one should add "Closed Bibles" to that slogan. Maybe I am being too harsh, but how do I match up what the member of the congregation said about not converting the Muslims with what I read within the pages of Scripture?
"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12
While it is definitely a loving act to come together in order to reunite a family separated by the violence and mayhem going on in Iraq, it is not a loving act to stop short of telling them that the freedom they now enjoy is nothing compared to the freedom offered in Christ. Perhaps that is because those members of this particular United Methodist denomination don't know Christ themselves. How could they know Jesus when they withhold from this Muslim family the main reason Jesus Christ came to this world? He came to save the lost. But, if you don't know Christ yourself, you cannot possibly share Him with others you encounter. For any Christian who has had a saving encounter with Jesus Christ the first thing you want to do is share Him with others. When you realize the alternative for someone who doesn't know Christ you are compelled to share Him.
I feel that the Muslim family is better off here in the United States than they were in Iraq. However, have we really done them any good when their encounter with a so-called Christian church leaves them seeing no difference between the two faiths? "It's God, love and peace. I believe in God. You believe in God," Hussain said. "What is the problem?" The problem is that you don't know God and God doesn't know you. The god of the Koran and the God of the Bible are not the same God. I am sure many people will point to this story as a perfect example of Christ's love and that we shouldn't focus on those things that divide us. That appeals to the flesh, but is exactly the opposite of what love really entails. It is not an act of love to allow someone to continue on a path of destruction when you claim to have that which will save them.
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." John 3:36
The Muslim family from Iraq already stands condemned by God. In fact, anybody who hasn't accepted Jesus Christ as their savior is already under the wrath of God. The fires of hell await anybody who remains dead in their sins apart from the saving life of Jesus Christ. If we know what we have been saved from as Christians our natural response is to be thankful to God for the love He has expressed towards us. If you truly want to save a family, tell them about true salvation. The reason so many immigrants to this country love it so much is because of the freedom to live and to worship as they please. However, those same immigrants must be made aware of the fact that the freedoms they enjoy were made possible by men and women who sacrificed all they had so they could worship Jesus Christ! They knew that true freedom isn't simply experienced by moving from one country to another. They knew that true freedom comes when we are made alive to God through faith in Jesus Christ.
"On Sunday, the church celebrated the reunion of Hussain; his wife, Rasha; and their children, 4 1/2-year-old Karrar and 2 1/2-year-old Haider. Haider was born the day after terrorists shot his father in the leg, setting in motion Emad Hussain's long interfaith journey. "This church saved my family," Hussain said. "They shared my dream. They shared my suffering." Ray Nelson, the man who first adopted Emad and brought him into the church, said no one has any intention of converting the Hussains. "Emad says we're all good Muslims," Nelson said."
No intention of converting the Hussains? This is what the modern day "Church" is coming to. We should just call ourselves 'ians' because Christ is no longer part of the equation in many churches. Shame on the Methodists for this statement. I guess we should just throw the Great Commission out the door. Let us all gather around and tell all the Christian martyrs throughout history, from the apostles on down, that their sacrifice was in vain. And we would have to say that the proclamation of Jesus that He is "the way, the truth and the life" was religious extremism. And of course there was no need for the Lord to die on the cross because there are apparently more ways to heaven than through Him. It makes me sick to my stomach just to even write these things.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised. After all, the United Methodist Church has a slogan that would explain why they wouldn't try to convert a Muslim to Jesus Christ. That slogan reads "Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors." Not to be rude, but maybe one should add "Closed Bibles" to that slogan. Maybe I am being too harsh, but how do I match up what the member of the congregation said about not converting the Muslims with what I read within the pages of Scripture?
"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12
While it is definitely a loving act to come together in order to reunite a family separated by the violence and mayhem going on in Iraq, it is not a loving act to stop short of telling them that the freedom they now enjoy is nothing compared to the freedom offered in Christ. Perhaps that is because those members of this particular United Methodist denomination don't know Christ themselves. How could they know Jesus when they withhold from this Muslim family the main reason Jesus Christ came to this world? He came to save the lost. But, if you don't know Christ yourself, you cannot possibly share Him with others you encounter. For any Christian who has had a saving encounter with Jesus Christ the first thing you want to do is share Him with others. When you realize the alternative for someone who doesn't know Christ you are compelled to share Him.
I feel that the Muslim family is better off here in the United States than they were in Iraq. However, have we really done them any good when their encounter with a so-called Christian church leaves them seeing no difference between the two faiths? "It's God, love and peace. I believe in God. You believe in God," Hussain said. "What is the problem?" The problem is that you don't know God and God doesn't know you. The god of the Koran and the God of the Bible are not the same God. I am sure many people will point to this story as a perfect example of Christ's love and that we shouldn't focus on those things that divide us. That appeals to the flesh, but is exactly the opposite of what love really entails. It is not an act of love to allow someone to continue on a path of destruction when you claim to have that which will save them.
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." John 3:36
The Muslim family from Iraq already stands condemned by God. In fact, anybody who hasn't accepted Jesus Christ as their savior is already under the wrath of God. The fires of hell await anybody who remains dead in their sins apart from the saving life of Jesus Christ. If we know what we have been saved from as Christians our natural response is to be thankful to God for the love He has expressed towards us. If you truly want to save a family, tell them about true salvation. The reason so many immigrants to this country love it so much is because of the freedom to live and to worship as they please. However, those same immigrants must be made aware of the fact that the freedoms they enjoy were made possible by men and women who sacrificed all they had so they could worship Jesus Christ! They knew that true freedom isn't simply experienced by moving from one country to another. They knew that true freedom comes when we are made alive to God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
ChINOs
There is a popular acronym within the political realm to describe Republican politicians who consistently support legislation that goes against traditional conservative beliefs. That term is "RINO" which stands for Republicans In Name Only. Sadly, there are plenty of people who claim to be Christians who do not profess a belief that is consistent with biblical teaching. They could be called "ChINOs" or Christians In Name Only. Now, I do not say this to be humorous or disrespectful. I say this to call your attention to a growing trend within the so-called Body of Christ. There are numerous believers who say they have faith in Jesus Christ, but when they speak utter things that you will not find in the pages of scripture. The following three quotes give an example of what I am talking about:
"God is within all of us and does not have to be found in a church necessarily. I believe in the universe and that energy is in each & every one of us. Inspiration and spirit are our gifts to create our lives, good or bad. It's what we do with it..."
"Although I am born & raised [Christian denomination], I have always had an interest in other faiths such as Judaism & Eastern/Greek Orthodox. I feel that one doesn't necessarily have to practice a certain faith and/or believe in God in order to be a good person."
"Sadly I am not a good example of the [Christian cult] faith that I was raised in. I believe in it, but I am having a hard time living it at this point."
I believe that the only one who smiles when they hear comments like these is Satan. He loves nothing more than to get people believing in the "universe,"other faiths, no God at all or self-effort. These types of statements are just as much an indictment of the teaching going on within the Christian faith as a whole as much as it is on these individuals. Statements such as these serve as hard evidence of people who have "exchanged the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25)."
While I agree that God doesn’t have to be found in a church that is a far cry from believing that God is the universe or is in each one of us. In fact, "we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command (Hebrews 11:3)" and that the only ones who have God within us are those who have placed faith in Jesus Christ. I am always amazed at how people can put faith in vague statements about the universe, but deny all the facts that validate the claims made in the Bible. However, there beliefs in many ways can serve as encouragement to true believers like myself. The Bible says that at one point in time "every man did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6)." Is not that what is at the heart of those who believe in the universe and that God is in all of us? They deny the one true God of the Bible because they want to be their own gods and do what they believe is right. In this way nobody has to stand for what they believe because in the end they are all right in their own eyes.
The second statement about being born and raised in a particular denomination makes me believe that this person has never had a saving encounter with Jesus Christ. While they may have had membership in their particular denomination, and committed themselves to upholding and living up to its tenants, that doesn’t make them a Christian. I know I am making an assumption about this person, but they are a good example to talk about a huge problem within the Church at large. The reason we have so many different denominations is because they all believe themselves to be Christian despite the fact that nearly all of them teach different things. Thus, you have people who sit under these teachings believing themselves to have placed faith in Christ when they have really placed faith in their denomination. Jesus said, "You must be born again (John 3:7)." This only occurs after an individual realizes at some point in their life that they are dead in their sins and in need of the resurrected life of Christ. This is not accomplished by belonging to a denomination and could be the reason the person believes that other faiths are just as valid. After all, one thing all religions have in common is that they all teach their adherents how to try to reach up to God in the energy of their own flesh. And that is the fatal and eternal flaw in each one of them.
The last statement is a natural byproduct of the first two statements. Since you have various faiths all teaching how to get to God through submission to their teachings you have people judging themselves through the prism of their obedience to those teachings. If you’re obeying the teachings you believe yourself to be a good person and vice versa. Problem with that is there are no good people. We usually deem ourselves good or bad based on our ability to live up to what we believe is good and avoid that which we deem bad. Religion and our own desire to determine what is right come into play here. If we are doing what we are told to do we feel proud of ourselves. When we fail to live up to what we desire we either condemn ourselves as being bad or change the rules in order to justify our failures. God has a different opinion on the matter. "All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one (Romans 3:12)."
There are many ways to hell, but only one way to Heaven. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it (Matthew 7:13-14)." The wide gate is the one entered by those believing in multiple ways to heaven, that God is within us all simply because of our existence and that judge their worthiness into Heaven by their obedience to religious rules. All mankind is born into this world spiritually dead in their sins, separated from God. Jesus, God in the flesh, is the only means God has made available for any of us to reach Heaven. Believing in the three statements above may make you popular with others in the world who don’t know Christ as well as accepted by them. However, until you realize that you cannot do anything to gain entrance into heaven you are doomed to an eternity apart from it. But God, in His love has provided a way. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:16-17)."
"God is within all of us and does not have to be found in a church necessarily. I believe in the universe and that energy is in each & every one of us. Inspiration and spirit are our gifts to create our lives, good or bad. It's what we do with it..."
"Although I am born & raised [Christian denomination], I have always had an interest in other faiths such as Judaism & Eastern/Greek Orthodox. I feel that one doesn't necessarily have to practice a certain faith and/or believe in God in order to be a good person."
"Sadly I am not a good example of the [Christian cult] faith that I was raised in. I believe in it, but I am having a hard time living it at this point."
I believe that the only one who smiles when they hear comments like these is Satan. He loves nothing more than to get people believing in the "universe,"other faiths, no God at all or self-effort. These types of statements are just as much an indictment of the teaching going on within the Christian faith as a whole as much as it is on these individuals. Statements such as these serve as hard evidence of people who have "exchanged the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25)."
While I agree that God doesn’t have to be found in a church that is a far cry from believing that God is the universe or is in each one of us. In fact, "we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command (Hebrews 11:3)" and that the only ones who have God within us are those who have placed faith in Jesus Christ. I am always amazed at how people can put faith in vague statements about the universe, but deny all the facts that validate the claims made in the Bible. However, there beliefs in many ways can serve as encouragement to true believers like myself. The Bible says that at one point in time "every man did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6)." Is not that what is at the heart of those who believe in the universe and that God is in all of us? They deny the one true God of the Bible because they want to be their own gods and do what they believe is right. In this way nobody has to stand for what they believe because in the end they are all right in their own eyes.
The second statement about being born and raised in a particular denomination makes me believe that this person has never had a saving encounter with Jesus Christ. While they may have had membership in their particular denomination, and committed themselves to upholding and living up to its tenants, that doesn’t make them a Christian. I know I am making an assumption about this person, but they are a good example to talk about a huge problem within the Church at large. The reason we have so many different denominations is because they all believe themselves to be Christian despite the fact that nearly all of them teach different things. Thus, you have people who sit under these teachings believing themselves to have placed faith in Christ when they have really placed faith in their denomination. Jesus said, "You must be born again (John 3:7)." This only occurs after an individual realizes at some point in their life that they are dead in their sins and in need of the resurrected life of Christ. This is not accomplished by belonging to a denomination and could be the reason the person believes that other faiths are just as valid. After all, one thing all religions have in common is that they all teach their adherents how to try to reach up to God in the energy of their own flesh. And that is the fatal and eternal flaw in each one of them.
The last statement is a natural byproduct of the first two statements. Since you have various faiths all teaching how to get to God through submission to their teachings you have people judging themselves through the prism of their obedience to those teachings. If you’re obeying the teachings you believe yourself to be a good person and vice versa. Problem with that is there are no good people. We usually deem ourselves good or bad based on our ability to live up to what we believe is good and avoid that which we deem bad. Religion and our own desire to determine what is right come into play here. If we are doing what we are told to do we feel proud of ourselves. When we fail to live up to what we desire we either condemn ourselves as being bad or change the rules in order to justify our failures. God has a different opinion on the matter. "All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one (Romans 3:12)."
There are many ways to hell, but only one way to Heaven. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it (Matthew 7:13-14)." The wide gate is the one entered by those believing in multiple ways to heaven, that God is within us all simply because of our existence and that judge their worthiness into Heaven by their obedience to religious rules. All mankind is born into this world spiritually dead in their sins, separated from God. Jesus, God in the flesh, is the only means God has made available for any of us to reach Heaven. Believing in the three statements above may make you popular with others in the world who don’t know Christ as well as accepted by them. However, until you realize that you cannot do anything to gain entrance into heaven you are doomed to an eternity apart from it. But God, in His love has provided a way. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:16-17)."
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
I am unworthy...I will say no more
Q: Can God experience ignorance? If He can then He isn't Omniscient and if He can't then He is not Omnipotent. I was asked this question awhile back and I couldn't figure out an answer. Can I get any help?
A: No, I don't think God can experience ignorance. If we take the main definitions for ignorance and apply them to God we do not get the idea of an omniscient or omnipotent deity. Ignorance is defined as having a lack of knowledge, learning or information. Another definition states that it is the condition of being uneducated, unaware or uninformed. Now, would you say that God is lacking in knowledge, learning or information? Of course you wouldn't. Nor would you, or any Christian, say that God is uneducated, unaware or uninformed. These attributes are more descriptive of mankind then they are of God. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, said, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13)." Who can make such a claim other than God?
Being omniscient means having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things. If God doesn't have unlimited understanding than Isaiah would not have written that "He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom (Isaiah 40:28)." There is no better definition of God's awareness than when the author of Hebrews writes that "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:13)." The one area that no other person can see is what is on our hearts. If we do not tell others of what our hearts feel they will never know. Yet, the Psalmist asks, "would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart (Psalm 44:21)?" Nothing goes unnoticed by God. However, God can choose to act as if something has not occurred if He deems it necessary to do so. When Christ died on the cross He took away our sins from the eyes of God. And scripture records God promising to us that our "sins and lawless acts I will remember no more (Hebrews 10:17)." This doesn't mean God is ignorant of our sinful actions, but that He chooses not to hold them against us.
God's ability to choose not to remember our sins doesn't take away His omnipotence. In fact, it affirms it. If omnipotence means to be almighty or infinite in power wouldn't that include the ability to decide when, where and to what extent to use that power? In the Garden of Eden the Bible records that God brought all the animals to Adam "to see what he would name them(Genesis 2:19)." God allowing Adam to name the animals doesn't make Him any less almighty or infinite in power. Just after the Fall of man God asks Adam and Eve, "Where are you (Genesis 3:9)" and then later asks "Who told you that you were naked (Genesis 3:11)?" I am sure God knew the answer to both questions. But, maybe, in His love for them, God allowed Adam and Eve to have some privacy. Thus giving the serpent an opportunity to deceive them both. This action by God is no different than a parent knowing their kids are in the house, but allowing them some time to themselves. It doesn't make that mother or father any less a parent. Nor does God doing the same thing make Him any less an omnipotent God.
If that isn't enough, scripture reminds us that God is "mighty in power (Psalm 147:5)," "no one can withstand [Him] (2 Chronicles 20:6)," "no one can hold back His hand (Daniel 4:35)," "nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37)" and "nothing is too hard for [Him] (Jeremiah 32:17)." Our God is a living and active God who participates in the lives of believers and who interacts with His creation. There is no greater evidence of that interaction than what we have in the Person of Jesus Christ. From the beginning of time God knew that the Fall of mankind would occur. And He already had the plan in place to redeem mankind by becoming one of us, living a sinless life, dying in our place on the cross and, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, offering us everlasting life. And in the midst of all that He "made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live (Acts 17:26)." Only an omniscient and omnipotent God can see the end from the beginning, know our hearts, interact with each of us individually and orchestrate the redemption of mankind all at the same time.
The person who asked you the question has not taken God by surprise or put forth a challenge to God that He cannot answer. It is written that there is nothing new under the sun. In the book of Job, in the midst of Job trying to question God, God questions Job. The individual who asked you the question may want to read some of what God said to Job (Job 38-39). To make a long story short, I will point out two things that I believe one should think about before they question the omniscience and omnipotence of God. The first thing is God asking of Job "Where were you...(Job 38:4)?" None of us created anything on this world or in this universe. God did. We don't know what tomorrow holds. God knows. We did not speak and the world came into existence. God did. Before we, in our stubborn pride, question God we should take account of our place in His economy. Before we question God's deity by asking if He is ignorant, we should first think of the immeasurable amounts of stuff we are ignorant of. Perhaps, then we will be humbled enough to do what Job eventually did. And this brings me to the second thing I want to mention; Job's response to God. Job answered God by saying, "I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more (Job 40:4-5)." There is nothing wrong with asking these questions of God, just be prepared for His answer. It just might reveal how ignorant we are of Him and His ways. I hope this helps.
A: No, I don't think God can experience ignorance. If we take the main definitions for ignorance and apply them to God we do not get the idea of an omniscient or omnipotent deity. Ignorance is defined as having a lack of knowledge, learning or information. Another definition states that it is the condition of being uneducated, unaware or uninformed. Now, would you say that God is lacking in knowledge, learning or information? Of course you wouldn't. Nor would you, or any Christian, say that God is uneducated, unaware or uninformed. These attributes are more descriptive of mankind then they are of God. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, said, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13)." Who can make such a claim other than God?
Being omniscient means having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things. If God doesn't have unlimited understanding than Isaiah would not have written that "He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom (Isaiah 40:28)." There is no better definition of God's awareness than when the author of Hebrews writes that "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:13)." The one area that no other person can see is what is on our hearts. If we do not tell others of what our hearts feel they will never know. Yet, the Psalmist asks, "would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart (Psalm 44:21)?" Nothing goes unnoticed by God. However, God can choose to act as if something has not occurred if He deems it necessary to do so. When Christ died on the cross He took away our sins from the eyes of God. And scripture records God promising to us that our "sins and lawless acts I will remember no more (Hebrews 10:17)." This doesn't mean God is ignorant of our sinful actions, but that He chooses not to hold them against us.
God's ability to choose not to remember our sins doesn't take away His omnipotence. In fact, it affirms it. If omnipotence means to be almighty or infinite in power wouldn't that include the ability to decide when, where and to what extent to use that power? In the Garden of Eden the Bible records that God brought all the animals to Adam "to see what he would name them(Genesis 2:19)." God allowing Adam to name the animals doesn't make Him any less almighty or infinite in power. Just after the Fall of man God asks Adam and Eve, "Where are you (Genesis 3:9)" and then later asks "Who told you that you were naked (Genesis 3:11)?" I am sure God knew the answer to both questions. But, maybe, in His love for them, God allowed Adam and Eve to have some privacy. Thus giving the serpent an opportunity to deceive them both. This action by God is no different than a parent knowing their kids are in the house, but allowing them some time to themselves. It doesn't make that mother or father any less a parent. Nor does God doing the same thing make Him any less an omnipotent God.
If that isn't enough, scripture reminds us that God is "mighty in power (Psalm 147:5)," "no one can withstand [Him] (2 Chronicles 20:6)," "no one can hold back His hand (Daniel 4:35)," "nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37)" and "nothing is too hard for [Him] (Jeremiah 32:17)." Our God is a living and active God who participates in the lives of believers and who interacts with His creation. There is no greater evidence of that interaction than what we have in the Person of Jesus Christ. From the beginning of time God knew that the Fall of mankind would occur. And He already had the plan in place to redeem mankind by becoming one of us, living a sinless life, dying in our place on the cross and, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, offering us everlasting life. And in the midst of all that He "made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live (Acts 17:26)." Only an omniscient and omnipotent God can see the end from the beginning, know our hearts, interact with each of us individually and orchestrate the redemption of mankind all at the same time.
The person who asked you the question has not taken God by surprise or put forth a challenge to God that He cannot answer. It is written that there is nothing new under the sun. In the book of Job, in the midst of Job trying to question God, God questions Job. The individual who asked you the question may want to read some of what God said to Job (Job 38-39). To make a long story short, I will point out two things that I believe one should think about before they question the omniscience and omnipotence of God. The first thing is God asking of Job "Where were you...(Job 38:4)?" None of us created anything on this world or in this universe. God did. We don't know what tomorrow holds. God knows. We did not speak and the world came into existence. God did. Before we, in our stubborn pride, question God we should take account of our place in His economy. Before we question God's deity by asking if He is ignorant, we should first think of the immeasurable amounts of stuff we are ignorant of. Perhaps, then we will be humbled enough to do what Job eventually did. And this brings me to the second thing I want to mention; Job's response to God. Job answered God by saying, "I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more (Job 40:4-5)." There is nothing wrong with asking these questions of God, just be prepared for His answer. It just might reveal how ignorant we are of Him and His ways. I hope this helps.
Monday, March 16, 2009
If you build it...
Many of us are feeling the pinch put on us by the current economic situation. I guess one area I hadn't really thought about being effected are churches. Thankfully, the fellowship I attend is not in debt and we are trying not to go into debt in order to accommodate a larger crowd. But, only time will tell if we are able to keep it that way. Recently, I was made aware of an article on the website www.onenewsnow.com regarding the crunch being put on "Megachurches" in these difficult times. The article starts out talking about the problems a large church in Maryland is enduring.
"From a group of freed slaves in Civil War-era Washington, Metropolitan Baptist had grown into a modern-day megachurch and community service powerhouse. In 2006, construction began on the congregation's dream complex in Largo, Md. - a $30 million campus with a 3,000-seat church, an education center and an 1,100-car parking lot. Last year, the congregation sold its church in Washington. Preparations began for the move to what leaders had taken to calling "God's land in Largo." But on Oct. 20, their plans were abruptly put on hold. The Rev. H. Beecher Hicks learned that financing for the project had dried up. Construction stopped. And the congregation found that it was homeless - reduced to renting space and struggling to find new financing. Add houses of worship to the list of casualties of the mortgage crisis."
To be honest with you I have little sympathy for this church's dilemma. There is nothing within the pages of scripture that gives any sort of precedence to a "megachurch." The true Church is not an organization housed within the four walls of a building, it is an organism made up of individual believers all over the world. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father (John 14:12)." For many of these churches the emphasis is on creating a bigger and "better" sanctuary to house its members. In this case that sanctuary was nicknamed "God's land in Largo." When Jesus spoke of believers doing greater things than He did He wasn't talking about burdening ourselves with millions of dollars of debt in order to build a church. He was talking about His life indwelling each of us and then He would build His Kingdom by living His life through us.
There is no such thing as "God's land in Largo." So many Christians mistakenly believe that their church is the "house of God." The question I would ask them is, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God (1 Corinthians 16:9)." There are millions of Christians all around the world. Each one of them is filled with the Holy Spirit. Each one of them is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Each one of them is capable of God doing great things through them. And it didn't cost any of them $30 million. Much of the error stems from a misunderstanding of Hebrews 10:25. "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." This verse is often used as the foundational passage commanding Christians to go to church. However, what $30 million, 3,000-seat church campus were believers attending in the first century A.D.?
The Great Commission says to "go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19)." Where is the megachurch building in that? There isn't one. As Christians, we need to be reminded that we are the Church and that we can have "church" anywhere. We can meet together in the daycare of a YMCA, as my fellowship once did. We can encourage each other using chat rooms and Internet groups like a group of Christians and I do on a daily basis. And all of it is either free or a fraction of the cost it takes to maintain a normal church, much less a multi-million dollar megachurch. Plus, we are free from the burden of having to pay for and use a building that, in the case of Metropolitan Baptist Church, may never be completed. The silver lining in the troubles faced by Metropolitan Baptist Church, and those facing similar financial problems, is that each individual member of these churches can focus on the Lord using them to be a witness for the Gospel. Too often in a church setting the building becomes the focus and the attention grabber rather than the Gospel.
Just after Jesus cleared the temple courts the Jews demanded a sign from Him as proof of His authority to do such a thing. Jesus replied, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days (John 2:19)." Of course, He was talking about Himself and His own body. However, His explanation went over the heads of the Jews. They replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days (John 2:20)?" Was the thought process of the Jews in this situation any different that that of many Christians today. We know it took forty-six years to build the temple mentioned in John 2. I wonder how much money it took to build it as well. Now, we come to 2009 and we have construction on another so-called "temple" in Maryland being halted by financial concerns. We already know the cost. Only thing we don't know is how long it will take to build it. Perhaps forty-six years. Who knows?
It is time that Christians realize that God doesn't need our lavish buildings to proclaim the Gospel. God doesn't need us to go into millions of dollars of debt in order to get His message out. What God needs is us. We are the temple of God. His life indwells us. All we need to do is allow Him to live His life in and through us. There is a popular saying that goes, "If you build it they will come." That may be true when it comes to a structure like Metropolitan Baptist Church is trying to build. Not one person in history has been saved because of the church they were a member of or happened to be visiting. Every Christian was saved by responding to the message of the Gospel whether it was presented in church or some other venue. Let us remember the words of Jesus Christ. "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself (John 12:32)." It is Christ that we lift up not the buildings from which we preach about Him. If you preach It they will come.
"From a group of freed slaves in Civil War-era Washington, Metropolitan Baptist had grown into a modern-day megachurch and community service powerhouse. In 2006, construction began on the congregation's dream complex in Largo, Md. - a $30 million campus with a 3,000-seat church, an education center and an 1,100-car parking lot. Last year, the congregation sold its church in Washington. Preparations began for the move to what leaders had taken to calling "God's land in Largo." But on Oct. 20, their plans were abruptly put on hold. The Rev. H. Beecher Hicks learned that financing for the project had dried up. Construction stopped. And the congregation found that it was homeless - reduced to renting space and struggling to find new financing. Add houses of worship to the list of casualties of the mortgage crisis."
To be honest with you I have little sympathy for this church's dilemma. There is nothing within the pages of scripture that gives any sort of precedence to a "megachurch." The true Church is not an organization housed within the four walls of a building, it is an organism made up of individual believers all over the world. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father (John 14:12)." For many of these churches the emphasis is on creating a bigger and "better" sanctuary to house its members. In this case that sanctuary was nicknamed "God's land in Largo." When Jesus spoke of believers doing greater things than He did He wasn't talking about burdening ourselves with millions of dollars of debt in order to build a church. He was talking about His life indwelling each of us and then He would build His Kingdom by living His life through us.
There is no such thing as "God's land in Largo." So many Christians mistakenly believe that their church is the "house of God." The question I would ask them is, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God (1 Corinthians 16:9)." There are millions of Christians all around the world. Each one of them is filled with the Holy Spirit. Each one of them is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Each one of them is capable of God doing great things through them. And it didn't cost any of them $30 million. Much of the error stems from a misunderstanding of Hebrews 10:25. "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." This verse is often used as the foundational passage commanding Christians to go to church. However, what $30 million, 3,000-seat church campus were believers attending in the first century A.D.?
The Great Commission says to "go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19)." Where is the megachurch building in that? There isn't one. As Christians, we need to be reminded that we are the Church and that we can have "church" anywhere. We can meet together in the daycare of a YMCA, as my fellowship once did. We can encourage each other using chat rooms and Internet groups like a group of Christians and I do on a daily basis. And all of it is either free or a fraction of the cost it takes to maintain a normal church, much less a multi-million dollar megachurch. Plus, we are free from the burden of having to pay for and use a building that, in the case of Metropolitan Baptist Church, may never be completed. The silver lining in the troubles faced by Metropolitan Baptist Church, and those facing similar financial problems, is that each individual member of these churches can focus on the Lord using them to be a witness for the Gospel. Too often in a church setting the building becomes the focus and the attention grabber rather than the Gospel.
Just after Jesus cleared the temple courts the Jews demanded a sign from Him as proof of His authority to do such a thing. Jesus replied, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days (John 2:19)." Of course, He was talking about Himself and His own body. However, His explanation went over the heads of the Jews. They replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days (John 2:20)?" Was the thought process of the Jews in this situation any different that that of many Christians today. We know it took forty-six years to build the temple mentioned in John 2. I wonder how much money it took to build it as well. Now, we come to 2009 and we have construction on another so-called "temple" in Maryland being halted by financial concerns. We already know the cost. Only thing we don't know is how long it will take to build it. Perhaps forty-six years. Who knows?
It is time that Christians realize that God doesn't need our lavish buildings to proclaim the Gospel. God doesn't need us to go into millions of dollars of debt in order to get His message out. What God needs is us. We are the temple of God. His life indwells us. All we need to do is allow Him to live His life in and through us. There is a popular saying that goes, "If you build it they will come." That may be true when it comes to a structure like Metropolitan Baptist Church is trying to build. Not one person in history has been saved because of the church they were a member of or happened to be visiting. Every Christian was saved by responding to the message of the Gospel whether it was presented in church or some other venue. Let us remember the words of Jesus Christ. "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself (John 12:32)." It is Christ that we lift up not the buildings from which we preach about Him. If you preach It they will come.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Doing hard things for Jesus
There are few things in this world we desire more than the acceptance of others. Nearly everything we do in life is geared towards getting on someones "good" side. It could be something as simple as mowing the lawn, without being told to do so, so as to receive the acceptance of our father. Or maybe it is working overtime in order to finish a project so as to please our boss. There are countless examples in life that can serve to make the point. Therefore, it is not a surprise when we bring that same attitude into our relationship with Jesus Christ. Do the following statements made by Christians sound familiar to you?
"We're all trying to make ourselves right for God."
"The purpose of [participating in a religious tradition] is to become more aware of God and one's relationships with others through self-discipline and avoiding temptation."
"[Participating in this religious tradition is about] doing hard things for Jesus and others."
"When are your heart and mind more right than when you're hitting your knees in desperation and need?"
On the surface these all sound great. And I would never discourage anybody from trying to better themselves, help others or pray for God's direction. However, the reasoning behind all of these efforts is that each person talking acts as though doing these things will result in them receiving acceptance or accolades from God. In some ways there is a twinge of fear that ties each one of these statements together as if they don't already have His acceptance and must earn it. The problem I see in all of this is a misunderstanding or a total lack of knowledge of who these people are in Christ. The Bible says that "Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God (1 Peter 3:18)." The Christian life is not about what we are doing for God, but all about what He, in Christ, has done for us. No amount of good works, no doubt those works we decide are good, will bring us any closer to God than we are already. In God's eyes, if we have accepted Jesus Christ by faith we are righteous in His sight. If this is true, then one must ask themselves how are your good works going to make you righteous in His site? They will not.
When one decides that self-discipline and avoiding temptation are admirable goals to try and accomplish they are guilty of putting themselves under the law. How else are you going to determine how best to discipline yourself and avoid temptation if not through subjecting yourself to a set of rules geared towards modifying your behavior? "Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence (Colossians 2:23)." Is not religion a system designed to show you what do to and what not do in order to obtain or sustain your right standing before God? Again, self-discipline and avoiding temptation, in and of themselves, are not bad things. What I am trying to get at is what determines your motivation in all this. In most cases a person is trying to get from God through their behavior what He has already given to them through faith in Jesus Christ.
There is nothing more difficult than trying to do hard things for Jesus. In fact, most religious tradition is centered around getting a person to stop sinning in one form or another. That is not hard to do. It is impossible to do. The Christian life is not about learning to try and stop sinning through subjecting oneself to tradition after tradition. The hard reality is that you will not stop sinning until you die. If you want to overcome a besetting sin in your life you have to start learning to trust God. The only way in which to do that is by realizing that "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them (2 Corinthians 5:19)." This is not encouragement to sin, but a reminder to all of us in Christ that our sins no longer separate us from God. Trying to do the impossible is not an act of faith. Faith says thank you to God for taking our sins away in Christ so that we can now approach Him in order to receive His love. A Christian lives by faith not works. Any sins we overcome, any good deeds we perform, any bad habits we break and any good habits we form are a byproduct of allowing God, through the Holy Spirit, to live the life only He can live through us.
There is nothing wrong with asking God, in prayer, to remove the suffering in our lives. However, we should know that as long as we live in this world we will suffer. I would encourage each believer to ask God to continue to reveal to you what it is you already have in Him. The byproduct of that will be an ability to live above your circumstances because you realize that nothing we face in this life separates us from Him. Your heart is right with God when you realize that your are right with Him. Many of the spiritual struggles we face start from a misconception about God and who we are as His children. He never promised to remove barriers in our life. What He promised was that He would be their with us in the midst of dealing with those barriers. The way in which He does this is by reminding us that we are holy, blameless, forgiven, righteous and acceptable to Him because of our faith in Christ. If you are engaging in behavior geared towards making yourself acceptable to God you will never be at rest because you will never succeed. The hardest thing that you may ever do for Jesus is believing that "he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy (Titus 3:5)."
"We're all trying to make ourselves right for God."
"The purpose of [participating in a religious tradition] is to become more aware of God and one's relationships with others through self-discipline and avoiding temptation."
"[Participating in this religious tradition is about] doing hard things for Jesus and others."
"When are your heart and mind more right than when you're hitting your knees in desperation and need?"
On the surface these all sound great. And I would never discourage anybody from trying to better themselves, help others or pray for God's direction. However, the reasoning behind all of these efforts is that each person talking acts as though doing these things will result in them receiving acceptance or accolades from God. In some ways there is a twinge of fear that ties each one of these statements together as if they don't already have His acceptance and must earn it. The problem I see in all of this is a misunderstanding or a total lack of knowledge of who these people are in Christ. The Bible says that "Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God (1 Peter 3:18)." The Christian life is not about what we are doing for God, but all about what He, in Christ, has done for us. No amount of good works, no doubt those works we decide are good, will bring us any closer to God than we are already. In God's eyes, if we have accepted Jesus Christ by faith we are righteous in His sight. If this is true, then one must ask themselves how are your good works going to make you righteous in His site? They will not.
When one decides that self-discipline and avoiding temptation are admirable goals to try and accomplish they are guilty of putting themselves under the law. How else are you going to determine how best to discipline yourself and avoid temptation if not through subjecting yourself to a set of rules geared towards modifying your behavior? "Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence (Colossians 2:23)." Is not religion a system designed to show you what do to and what not do in order to obtain or sustain your right standing before God? Again, self-discipline and avoiding temptation, in and of themselves, are not bad things. What I am trying to get at is what determines your motivation in all this. In most cases a person is trying to get from God through their behavior what He has already given to them through faith in Jesus Christ.
There is nothing more difficult than trying to do hard things for Jesus. In fact, most religious tradition is centered around getting a person to stop sinning in one form or another. That is not hard to do. It is impossible to do. The Christian life is not about learning to try and stop sinning through subjecting oneself to tradition after tradition. The hard reality is that you will not stop sinning until you die. If you want to overcome a besetting sin in your life you have to start learning to trust God. The only way in which to do that is by realizing that "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them (2 Corinthians 5:19)." This is not encouragement to sin, but a reminder to all of us in Christ that our sins no longer separate us from God. Trying to do the impossible is not an act of faith. Faith says thank you to God for taking our sins away in Christ so that we can now approach Him in order to receive His love. A Christian lives by faith not works. Any sins we overcome, any good deeds we perform, any bad habits we break and any good habits we form are a byproduct of allowing God, through the Holy Spirit, to live the life only He can live through us.
There is nothing wrong with asking God, in prayer, to remove the suffering in our lives. However, we should know that as long as we live in this world we will suffer. I would encourage each believer to ask God to continue to reveal to you what it is you already have in Him. The byproduct of that will be an ability to live above your circumstances because you realize that nothing we face in this life separates us from Him. Your heart is right with God when you realize that your are right with Him. Many of the spiritual struggles we face start from a misconception about God and who we are as His children. He never promised to remove barriers in our life. What He promised was that He would be their with us in the midst of dealing with those barriers. The way in which He does this is by reminding us that we are holy, blameless, forgiven, righteous and acceptable to Him because of our faith in Christ. If you are engaging in behavior geared towards making yourself acceptable to God you will never be at rest because you will never succeed. The hardest thing that you may ever do for Jesus is believing that "he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy (Titus 3:5)."
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Patience means Salvation
Q: "1. Does God ever grow tired of people who sin and gives up on them? 2. If a person is living a sinful life and you don`t believe that they can be saved without a willing spirit can God intervene through prayer for that person?"
A: God never grows tired and gives up on people who sin? If I may be so bold as to say, God's patience ends when we die. Everybody, Christian and unbeliever alike, sin up until the time they pass away. One of the attributes of love is patience. And there is no greater example of patience than what is found in God's longsuffering for mankind. In 2 Peter it says, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)." Every time we sin it should remind us of how much God loves us. You may ask, "Why should we be thankful for our sin?" We should be thankful because our sins are so terrible in the site of God that they deserve death. And it is Jesus Christ that died in our place so that we would be spared that penalty. This is not to say that we should seek out sin so as to have more reminders of God's love. But, the only way to see a diminishing of the sins in our life is to realize that our sins are no longer separating us from God.
Now that the barrier of sin that once separated us from God has been removed, in Christ, we are free to "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16)." The death of Jesus Christ is so powerful that the effect of it is twofold. For those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, having had the life of God restored to them through His resurrection, there is now no sin that will cause His life to leave us. That is why the life we have is an eternal life. It is a life that will carry us through the rest of our natural lives, through death and on into eternity. For the unbeliever the death of Jesus Christ allows them to come to God through faith in Christ, to receive His offer of life, because their sins are not preventing them from doing so. And in that life they receive forgiveness as an inheritance because of their faith.
God is not surprised by a person when they sin. "We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one... (Romans 3:9-10)." To suggest that no one can be saved because they are "living a sinful life" is to imply that someone could outsin the forgiveness of God or that, perhaps, Jesus didn't die for all the sins of the world. Each individual is accountable to God. Nobody will be able to go before God, although some might try, and say to Him that they sinned too much to be saved. Because we know that God wants all mankind to repent of their unbelief in Christ, and accept His offer of salvation, our prayers for God to "intervene" on their behalf are understandable. However, our prayers will not change an individuals free will to choose nor do they make God change their will. The Apostle Paul loved his Jewish brethren so much that he exclaimed, "I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel (Romans 9:3-4)." It is up to each individual to respond to the evidence God has already revealed to us through the light of our conscience, His creation and, ultimately, in Jesus Christ. And God can use each believer as a witness to share with others the evidence that has convinced us to place saving faith in Christ.
If you think about it, when did the average Christian come to faith in Christ? For most of us we accepted Christ when we were at the end of our ropes either mentally, physically, financially or spiritually. And we probably got to that point after "living a sinful life" or suffering because of the sins others perpetrated against us. Very few people are thinking about God, at least in the sense of their need for salvation, when life seems to be going their way. But, nearly everybody starts thinking about Him when times are rough. Our present economic situation has left many people without jobs, without homes or the basic ability to care for themselves and their loved ones. I am sure many of them are calling out to God in one form or another. It is times like these that strip us of our self reliance and reveal to us that we are really not in control of anything. It is at these times, when we are at the end of our rope, that God wants us to let go of that rope and fall into His loving Hands. "Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation...(2 Peter 3:15)" While many people spend the bulk of their time trying to gain the world, they are in jeopardy of losing their soul. However, God is patient enough to allow them reap what they sow in an effort that it will convince them that what they seek from the world can only be found in Him.
A: God never grows tired and gives up on people who sin? If I may be so bold as to say, God's patience ends when we die. Everybody, Christian and unbeliever alike, sin up until the time they pass away. One of the attributes of love is patience. And there is no greater example of patience than what is found in God's longsuffering for mankind. In 2 Peter it says, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)." Every time we sin it should remind us of how much God loves us. You may ask, "Why should we be thankful for our sin?" We should be thankful because our sins are so terrible in the site of God that they deserve death. And it is Jesus Christ that died in our place so that we would be spared that penalty. This is not to say that we should seek out sin so as to have more reminders of God's love. But, the only way to see a diminishing of the sins in our life is to realize that our sins are no longer separating us from God.
Now that the barrier of sin that once separated us from God has been removed, in Christ, we are free to "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16)." The death of Jesus Christ is so powerful that the effect of it is twofold. For those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, having had the life of God restored to them through His resurrection, there is now no sin that will cause His life to leave us. That is why the life we have is an eternal life. It is a life that will carry us through the rest of our natural lives, through death and on into eternity. For the unbeliever the death of Jesus Christ allows them to come to God through faith in Christ, to receive His offer of life, because their sins are not preventing them from doing so. And in that life they receive forgiveness as an inheritance because of their faith.
God is not surprised by a person when they sin. "We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one... (Romans 3:9-10)." To suggest that no one can be saved because they are "living a sinful life" is to imply that someone could outsin the forgiveness of God or that, perhaps, Jesus didn't die for all the sins of the world. Each individual is accountable to God. Nobody will be able to go before God, although some might try, and say to Him that they sinned too much to be saved. Because we know that God wants all mankind to repent of their unbelief in Christ, and accept His offer of salvation, our prayers for God to "intervene" on their behalf are understandable. However, our prayers will not change an individuals free will to choose nor do they make God change their will. The Apostle Paul loved his Jewish brethren so much that he exclaimed, "I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel (Romans 9:3-4)." It is up to each individual to respond to the evidence God has already revealed to us through the light of our conscience, His creation and, ultimately, in Jesus Christ. And God can use each believer as a witness to share with others the evidence that has convinced us to place saving faith in Christ.
If you think about it, when did the average Christian come to faith in Christ? For most of us we accepted Christ when we were at the end of our ropes either mentally, physically, financially or spiritually. And we probably got to that point after "living a sinful life" or suffering because of the sins others perpetrated against us. Very few people are thinking about God, at least in the sense of their need for salvation, when life seems to be going their way. But, nearly everybody starts thinking about Him when times are rough. Our present economic situation has left many people without jobs, without homes or the basic ability to care for themselves and their loved ones. I am sure many of them are calling out to God in one form or another. It is times like these that strip us of our self reliance and reveal to us that we are really not in control of anything. It is at these times, when we are at the end of our rope, that God wants us to let go of that rope and fall into His loving Hands. "Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation...(2 Peter 3:15)" While many people spend the bulk of their time trying to gain the world, they are in jeopardy of losing their soul. However, God is patient enough to allow them reap what they sow in an effort that it will convince them that what they seek from the world can only be found in Him.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Repentance and Obedience
Repentance and Obedience
by
Aaron Budjen
What role does repentance and obedience have in the Christian life? When considering the implications of the complete forgiveness we have, the inheritance we have in Christ and the freedom from the law, it is common for a person to begin to ask this question. In most cases, the message propagated in churches is to live a life of continually turning away from sin and doing the works of God. Pastors and Priests proclaim a message on a weekly basis that often sounds something like, "come to me and I will teach you how to stop sinning." On other occasions the message is, "I am now going to tell you all of the things you should be doing." We are so accustomed to hearing the messages of repentance and obedience, that we can become concerned when we begin to live in the freedom and abundance of what we have in Christ.
When it comes to repentance, what role does repentance have in your life? Answering the question with a similar question is not always the best way to respond. However, in most cases, people ask me this question because they want me to teach them and others something that I do not believe is true. In other words, their question is normally an accusation, not a sincere desire for an answer. If I was to ask you what role repentance has in your life, how would you respond? Would you feel confident in saying that you repent from your sins? Perhaps you can if you have a different definition for the word. The word for repentance, to repent, means that you have a total and complete change of mind. You turn away from one thing, towards another and never return to what you turned away from. This is what the word repent means in the Scriptures. Therefore, if a person is honest with respect to this definition, obviously repentance has no role in their life. Why would I teach people to repent from their sins when they won't repent from their sins? Would you like me to threaten them by telling them that God will punish them if they don't stop sinning?
The message of repentance is normally presented as stop sinning or God will punish you. If you don't like the word punishment, then consider the word chastise or discipline. Either way, the intent is to say that God will intervene and cause you to experience suffering because of your sin. When we understand the complete forgiveness of sins, and understand that our God does not hold our sins against us any more, it is natural to ask why we should no longer turn away from our sinful desires?
Consider an example with a husband and wife. What would it sound like if I was to approach my wife and tell her something like the following: Sweetheart, I want you to know that I was looking over the ten commandments recently and I noticed that adultery is a sin. Certainly, as a man I find myself being tempted on occasion to commit adultery. However, I want you to know that I believe God will punish me if I commit adultery against you. Perhaps He may not punish me, but He will discipline me or chastise me at the very least. Therefore, because I am afraid of what God will do to me, I will not commit adultery against you. How would that make you feel if you were married to me? Would you feel comforted and secure to know that I will not violate our marriage because of my fear of God? Is that the kind of person you would want to be married to? I would hope not. You would want to know that I would not commit adultery because I don't want to. You would prefer that I would not commit adultery because I am a man of character and integrity. Out of pride you might also want me to say no to the temptations of adultery because you are so beautiful, you are such a nice person, and I am deeply in love with you. That could be a little risky though considering the effects of aging and occasionally you might be a viscous and cruel person. If that happens you would certainly have cause to feel insecure and afraid. Regardless of the specific exceptions, a person sins because they want to. If a person is not going to sin, it will be because they do not want to sin.
A person will never turn from sin when admonished to repent. A person will only turn from sin when their heart is changed from the inside. For this reason I am very careful to focus on the issues of a person's heart, not their flesh. If I find ways to make us feel as if we are able to get our flesh under control, nothing will be accomplished by that. If we turn to our God and receive all that He has for us through the Lord Jesus, the deepest needs of our heart will be fulfilled. When the deepest needs that we have are met, our life will be a living expression of the peace we have in our hearts. The temptation of sin will dissipate, and we will live a life that appears to be a life of repentance. In truth, our life will be a transformational experience from the inside when we grow in our relationship with the living God.
Obedience is normally presented as doing what the Lord wants you to do. In contrast with repentance, which is not doing what the Lord does not want you to do, obedience is the decision and activity of doing the works of God. Just as repentance is often based on the threat of punishment, obedience is often encouraged with the offer of blessings and rewards. When a person understands that the Lord is not going to punish them for their sins, they will question why they should not pursue a life of sin. In a similar way, when a person begins to discover what they have been given already in Christ Jesus, they will question why they should pursue a life of obedience.
Consider the example of ministry. I personally consider the proclamation of the Gospel and discipleship of believers in the Lord Jesus to be the highest form of public service. What would it sound like to you if I said that I am so thankful for the opportunity to devote my life to the ministry because God is going to bless me and reward me in unimaginable ways. How would it be perceived if I told a person that I was counseling them through the deep pains and sufferings in their life because God was going to bless me for my obedience to Him. If this was true, it would be a clear description of selfishness. In addition, it would be a profound expression of pride that I was doing something for God, and as a result He would definitely owe me. In 2002 the Lord gave me a clear directive that from that time forward I was to devote my life to the work of the ministry. I did not respond to this directive out of obedience. I responded to what the Lord directed me to do because He prepared my heart in such a way that I would do this because I want to, more than anything else in the world. My decisions and activities are direct acts of the highest form of public service, and I don't do them because I expect to be blessed or rewarded. I live a life of service towards others because I want to, and am thankful that the Lord has opened many doors for me to walk through and be a part of what He is doing.
If we lived a life according to repentance and obedience, we would consistently be devoted to living a life we would never live. If this is how our God wants us to live we will never be repentant enough and we will never be obedient enough. When would we ever be at peace? When would we ever be at rest? The answer is obvious. You will never be at peace or at rest in your own heart if you sincerely believe that your life is to be a life of repentance and obedience. For this reason, and many others, people will continue to hang onto something in the world with hope they will experience peace and rest because they know they will never experience peace and rest with their God. The result of preaching repentance and obedience is an increase of sin and disobedience in a person's life. The reasons why a person sins and disobeys are not only ignored, but further barriers are built to prevent a person from knowing their God.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
...a temporary alleviation
When I was 11 years old my father had a stroke. At the time I was playing Little League football in the park across the street from my home. My father would always lend a hand with the team when he could. One day after practice, he was on his way home. In order to get to our house you had to cross a ditch. I found out later that when my father went down into the ditch he became very weak. He said later that he prayed for God to let him at least make it home so as not to pass out in the ditch. Not long afterwards he was admitted to the hospital where he had his stroke. Thankfully, he was close to medical attention which, no doubt, saved his life. It has been said by doctors who attended to him that they had never seen a person survive such as massive stroke as the one my father suffered. To this day he still doesn't have full use of the left side of his body. For the longest time after his stroke I remember praying to God for my father to regain the full use of his body.
When I was in my early twenties I was dating a young lady. Unfortunately, like most twenty-somethings, we were engaged in sexual activity. There came a time, due to carelessness on the part of both of us, that I thought I had gotten her pregnant. From the time I thought I had gotten her pregnant until the day she told me she wasn't, were some of the most stressful times of my life. To make a long story short, I did not want to become a father. Looking back on the situation, I can admit that my motivations were selfish. I wanted to continue on with my life the way it was and did not want to face the consequences of my actions. What would I have wanted to do if she had become pregnant? Would I have pressured her to have an abortion? If she wanted to have our child would I have married her out of guilt even though I wasn't in love with her? I really don't know. All I know is that I didn't want to have to be faced with that dilemma.
You may be asking yourself what does my fathers stroke and my past sexual immorality have to do with each other? Believe it or not they both are related to the debate over stem cell research, embryonic stem cell research to be exact. Recently, President Barack Obama lifted the so-called ban on embryonic stem cell research. Actually, the research wasn't banned, but the use of taxpayer money to research it was prohibited under President George W. Bush. This has caused an uproar because many people, myself included, believe that the use of embryonic stem cells is directly related to pro-life issues because it involves the killing of an innocent human being. According to Georgia Purdham, Ph.D., in an article entitled "Stem Cells: Does Their Origin Matter?":
"Harvesting ESCs (Embryonic Stem Cells) kills the embryo, but harvesting adult stem cells does not kill or harm the adult. Many involved with the research of embryonic stem cells do not believe a new person begins at conception or don’t care. Embryonic stem cells are viewed as property, not people. However, the Bible clearly indicates that life does begin at conception (Psalm 51:5, 139:13–15; Jeremiah 1:5)...Therefore, harvesting ESCs violates God’s commandment not to murder."
At the time of my father's stroke, and when I thought my girlfriend was pregnant, I was not a Christian. While I was a cultural Christian, one who went to church and, thus, called myself a Christian, I had not accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. Therefore, while understandable, my desire to have my father healed and my girlfriend not to have become pregnant were motivated by my flesh. In the case of my father, I could see how easily one could see no problem in using stem cells from embryos to help find a cure that would enable him to have full use of his body. In the case of me not wanting to have a baby, I would have agreed with the words of current President Barack Obama. Asked if either one of his daughters were to be faced with an unwanted pregnancy he said he would not want them to be "punished" with a baby. So, I guess he considers becoming a grandparent punishment. Barack Obama also claims to be a Christian. I have my doubts. The bottom line in all of this talk about embryonic stem research is that it reveals the depths mankind will sink in order to extend life or increase the quality of it. I guess taking the life of innocent unborn children is okay if one can use their entire body again or if I can prevent myself and my girlfriend from being "punished" by our actions.
In the picture above, it is clear that life begins at conception. While that life may not "look" like a human, it is definitely human. We all, at one point in our development, were embryos. Thank God we weren't harvested in an attempt to cure disease and sickness. Even more, embryonic stem cell research has yet to yield even one potential cure for anything. Adult stem cells, on the other hand, have yielded over 70 potential cures and uses. Many proponents of embryonic stem cell research will claim that it must be done in order to save lives. However, saving lives is the exact reason it should not be done. The real lives at stake are the millions of unborn children who have not and will not be allowed to survive their first month of development. I would love nothing more than to see my father "whole" again, but not if it means destroying life. If my girlfriend would have been pregnant, our child would be a teenager today. Thankfully, we didn't have to make that choice. I shutter to think what decision would have been made. In conclusion, I will let the words of Dr. Purdham speak for me:
"Although everyone wants to see such devastating diseases come to an end, we all must realize our work will only lead to a temporary alleviation. Jesus Christ, the true conqueror of disease and death, will create a new heaven and a new earth where the effects of sin have been removed. That is the cure we eagerly await."
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16
Saturday, March 7, 2009
I'm so terrified....
The following is a literal confession by someone paralyzed by reading Hebrews 10:26-27.
"I am terrified that this is me. I have wilfully sinned....and sure enough, I have a fearful expectation of judgment and hellfire. I know I was never really saved....I only said the sinner's prayer after being coaxed to by people at my church....and that was before I fully believed anything. They just said that saying it would save me. Anyways....I never fully believed in the bible, I was struggling with all of it...especially when I came to study Calvinism....which made the struggle more difficult. Then I just started spiraling down into sinning again, thinking 'God will change me when he's ready'...and stuff like that. And now I'm reading verses in the bible like that one, which I feel are just completely pointed at me....and I feel sick to my stomach and am fearful of dying at every moment. I've heard people say 'if you're feeling that way then you're not beyond redemption'....but that can't be true...because it says in that verse that those who willfully sin will be consumed with a fearful expectation. They also give the example of Esau seeking repentance carefully with tears....and not finding it. I feel like this is just totally my situation. I wish I had read those verses before I went to sinning again. I wish I had fully understood everything. I've asked God for mercy but I don't think he'll show it. Now I am going to live the rest of my life out in constant terror. I know I'm only seeking repentance out of fear and cause I feel sorry for myself. Just like Esau. Should I just give up? Should I stop seeking? I don't want to go back to sinning. I don't want to die in my sins. Maybe God is just being nice to a reprobate by letting her know that she shouldn't waste any more time. I am so scared though. What should I do?"
Do you or someone you know feel the same way? I wonder how many millions of people, unbelievers and Christians, alike, are in the situation as this individual? I am afraid this confession is all to common. If this is you, here are a couple things you can do that will alleviate the fear you are experiencing.
1. "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" Hebrews 10: 26-29
Every time you utter a prayer of forgiveness, step into a confession booth, go down your list of short accounts, or whatever sacrifice you invent to take away sins, you are insulting the Spirit of grace by deliberately sinning against the knowledge of truth. That truth is that the death of Jesus Christ for your sins was a once and for all sacrifice that propitiated God for eternity. Jesus is not going to die again on the cross for your sins! I know that may sound harsh, but it is in effect exactly what you are asking Him to do every time you ask God to forgive you of your sins. God won't punish you for doing so and He will remain as faithful as always to you. However, in your mind your relationship will suffer because you will always feel the need to ask Him to forgive your sins before you ever feel comfortable enough to approach Him. And how do you approach God when you feel that your sins are separating you from Him? Asking God to do what He has already done is not an act of faith. Everything that does not come from faith is sin. Our bloodless sacrifices do not meet God's requirement of shed blood as necessary for sin. They only serve to tell God that we don't believe Jesus took away all our sins at the cross. Until you believe your sins have been forgiven you will struggle to experience the love of God, never feel accepted by Him and will stay immature in your faith. You may have a knowledge of scriptures, but still not know your God. Be reconciled to God.
2. An unbeliever has a bigger problem than the need to have their sins forgiven. An unbeliever is spiritually dead and in need of life. What is needed is a clear presentation of the Gospel to see whether or not you understand exactly what your condition is and God's provision for it. The good news of Jesus the Messiah, the gospel of Jesus Christ, is that Jesus died for the sins of humanity, the unbelief in God that everyone had that was expressed in their attitudes and actions; and as a result of the forgiveness that would be executed, He would make His Spirit available again, offered as a free gift to anyone who would receive it, such that the life of God that we had lost through Adam could be restored to us again. Jesus died once and for all, taking away the sins of the world, so the sin issue would never again be an issue between man and God. And the Spirit of God is offered as a free gift. This is the life of God that was breathed into humanity at the time of creation, and there will never again be any sin that will cause this life to leave again, because Jesus died for all sin, the just for the unjust so that we could be reconciled to God. Therefore the life we have presented to us is an eternal life, an everlasting life, something that we can experience now and today, and will carry us into eternity even after our bodies physically die.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16-17
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Romans 5:8-10
We are not saved by the death of Christ, as salvation is so popularly presented. Jesus died for the sins of the world. Everyone has forgiveness available them, but we are not saved because of forgiveness, forgiveness is what made salvation possible. We are saved by the life of Christ, the very life of God, being given as a free gift to whoever would be willing to receive it. And in His life we receive forgiveness of sins as an inheritance. The death of Christ reconciled us to God, but it is His life that saves us from our condition of spiritual death.
The forgiveness of sins and the life of God indwelling you for eternity is far from something that should terrify you.
"I am terrified that this is me. I have wilfully sinned....and sure enough, I have a fearful expectation of judgment and hellfire. I know I was never really saved....I only said the sinner's prayer after being coaxed to by people at my church....and that was before I fully believed anything. They just said that saying it would save me. Anyways....I never fully believed in the bible, I was struggling with all of it...especially when I came to study Calvinism....which made the struggle more difficult. Then I just started spiraling down into sinning again, thinking 'God will change me when he's ready'...and stuff like that. And now I'm reading verses in the bible like that one, which I feel are just completely pointed at me....and I feel sick to my stomach and am fearful of dying at every moment. I've heard people say 'if you're feeling that way then you're not beyond redemption'....but that can't be true...because it says in that verse that those who willfully sin will be consumed with a fearful expectation. They also give the example of Esau seeking repentance carefully with tears....and not finding it. I feel like this is just totally my situation. I wish I had read those verses before I went to sinning again. I wish I had fully understood everything. I've asked God for mercy but I don't think he'll show it. Now I am going to live the rest of my life out in constant terror. I know I'm only seeking repentance out of fear and cause I feel sorry for myself. Just like Esau. Should I just give up? Should I stop seeking? I don't want to go back to sinning. I don't want to die in my sins. Maybe God is just being nice to a reprobate by letting her know that she shouldn't waste any more time. I am so scared though. What should I do?"
Do you or someone you know feel the same way? I wonder how many millions of people, unbelievers and Christians, alike, are in the situation as this individual? I am afraid this confession is all to common. If this is you, here are a couple things you can do that will alleviate the fear you are experiencing.
1. "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" Hebrews 10: 26-29
Every time you utter a prayer of forgiveness, step into a confession booth, go down your list of short accounts, or whatever sacrifice you invent to take away sins, you are insulting the Spirit of grace by deliberately sinning against the knowledge of truth. That truth is that the death of Jesus Christ for your sins was a once and for all sacrifice that propitiated God for eternity. Jesus is not going to die again on the cross for your sins! I know that may sound harsh, but it is in effect exactly what you are asking Him to do every time you ask God to forgive you of your sins. God won't punish you for doing so and He will remain as faithful as always to you. However, in your mind your relationship will suffer because you will always feel the need to ask Him to forgive your sins before you ever feel comfortable enough to approach Him. And how do you approach God when you feel that your sins are separating you from Him? Asking God to do what He has already done is not an act of faith. Everything that does not come from faith is sin. Our bloodless sacrifices do not meet God's requirement of shed blood as necessary for sin. They only serve to tell God that we don't believe Jesus took away all our sins at the cross. Until you believe your sins have been forgiven you will struggle to experience the love of God, never feel accepted by Him and will stay immature in your faith. You may have a knowledge of scriptures, but still not know your God. Be reconciled to God.
2. An unbeliever has a bigger problem than the need to have their sins forgiven. An unbeliever is spiritually dead and in need of life. What is needed is a clear presentation of the Gospel to see whether or not you understand exactly what your condition is and God's provision for it. The good news of Jesus the Messiah, the gospel of Jesus Christ, is that Jesus died for the sins of humanity, the unbelief in God that everyone had that was expressed in their attitudes and actions; and as a result of the forgiveness that would be executed, He would make His Spirit available again, offered as a free gift to anyone who would receive it, such that the life of God that we had lost through Adam could be restored to us again. Jesus died once and for all, taking away the sins of the world, so the sin issue would never again be an issue between man and God. And the Spirit of God is offered as a free gift. This is the life of God that was breathed into humanity at the time of creation, and there will never again be any sin that will cause this life to leave again, because Jesus died for all sin, the just for the unjust so that we could be reconciled to God. Therefore the life we have presented to us is an eternal life, an everlasting life, something that we can experience now and today, and will carry us into eternity even after our bodies physically die.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16-17
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Romans 5:8-10
We are not saved by the death of Christ, as salvation is so popularly presented. Jesus died for the sins of the world. Everyone has forgiveness available them, but we are not saved because of forgiveness, forgiveness is what made salvation possible. We are saved by the life of Christ, the very life of God, being given as a free gift to whoever would be willing to receive it. And in His life we receive forgiveness of sins as an inheritance. The death of Christ reconciled us to God, but it is His life that saves us from our condition of spiritual death.
The forgiveness of sins and the life of God indwelling you for eternity is far from something that should terrify you.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Reverend Wrong
Q: In light of the event where Rev. Wright said God will not bless America; but will `damn` America---I want to know: `What is the brief history of God in the Bible damning or chastising wayward (failure to obey God) nations?`
A: The comments of Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and I use the term Reverend loosely, are symptomatic of people who tend to blame many, if not all, the ills of the world on the United States. The quote of Reverend Wright's that you reference is just one of many inflammatory and false statements he has made in order to advance his political agenda. Wright blamed the destruction of the Twin Towers, on September 11, 2001, on America's "chickens coming home to roost." In other words, the United States suffered that attack as a sort of payback for supposed ills it has committed against the rest of the world over the 232 years of its existence. Debating and debunking all he has said is a topic for another day. However, as someone who claims to be a representative of Jesus Christ and a preacher of His Gospel, Reverend Wright leaves much to be desired. The Bible warns of a time when "men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths (2 Timothy 4:3-4)."
In my opinion, Reverend Wright fits the description of a teacher who says what people want to hear by lying to them through the advancement of myths. Wright preached in a church that was predominantly attended by members of the African-American community. There is no doubting the terrible history of slavery and racism that has affected members of that community, myself being one of them. Reverend Wright has played on the emotions created by that shared experience in order to advance a theology that does a disservice to both the African-American community and to our God. There are examples in the Bible of a wrathful God inflicting total and devastating destruction on nations for their disobedience, embracing of sin and worship of false gods. You have the global flood that destroyed all but eight people during the time of Noah (Genesis 7). There was the annihilation of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19). The entire army of Pharaoh, that followed the Israelites after they left Egypt, was destroyed in the Red Sea (Exodus 14). The use of Samson by God to kill countless Philistines (Judges 13-16). And there are many other illustrations of God's wrath. These types of examples serve as anecdotal evidence to be used by people like Reverend Wright to say that any perceived mass suffering endured by the United States is the wrath of God against our nation.
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the destruction of the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and similar disasters are said to be the result of God's anger against America for our "sins." Yet, these types of attacks and natural disasters happen all over the world and to a greater extent than they do here in the United States. Israelis, God's "chosen people," face daily terrorists attacks, missile attacks and threats from their enemies. The Tsunami of 2004 killed an estimated 250,000 people in and around the Indian Ocean. The "Great Sichuan Earthquake of 2008", killed 69,000 people in China. These unfortunate events happen all the time to all sorts of people all over the world. Is it God's wrath against them? Perhaps. But, it is most likely the effects of a sin cursed world where "the whole creation has been groaning (Romans 8:22)" and where men "are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know (Romans 3:15-17)." If God is "damning" America for some sort of evil it has perpetrated in the past, than Reverend Wright needs to answer for what "sins" did God "damn" African-Americans for when they were brutally enslaved for 400 years?
The fact is that there is not enough evidence to flatly say that God is damning America, or any other nation, for its perceived transgressions. Furthermore, God is not dealing with nations and countries, but rather with individuals. Jesus came into the world to "seek and to save what was lost (Luke 19:10)." When God judged nations and people in the Old Testament, the common denominator for doing so was their sins and unbelief. Rather than wiping out the world again, or large segments of its inhabitants, God sent Jesus Christ "who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)." God has already judged mankind. The verdict was guilty. The penalty was death. Jesus Christ took that penalty. There is none left for us to take. God has not destined us for wrath, but has rescued us from the wrath to come. This is a message of love and reconciliation that Christians are to proclaim to the entire world.
There is no love in the message of Reverend Wright, but there is definitely hatred, anger and a concerted effort to "promote controversies rather than God's work (1 Timothy 1:4)." That does not come from a person that has experienced the love of God through an encounter with Jesus Christ. We can't make the mistake of assuming that Reverend Wright's comments have any truth behind them or biblical merit. Just because someone claims to be a Christian does not mean that what they say is to be believed. There is, however, some benefit from listening to comments like his or those like him. Scripture warns us to be on guard against men who distort the truth in order to gather followers after them. When you listen to men like Reverend Wright speak be on guard. "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient (Ephesians 5:6)." The wrath of God is reserved for those who are disobedient to the message of love, unity and salvation found in Christ Jesus.
A: The comments of Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and I use the term Reverend loosely, are symptomatic of people who tend to blame many, if not all, the ills of the world on the United States. The quote of Reverend Wright's that you reference is just one of many inflammatory and false statements he has made in order to advance his political agenda. Wright blamed the destruction of the Twin Towers, on September 11, 2001, on America's "chickens coming home to roost." In other words, the United States suffered that attack as a sort of payback for supposed ills it has committed against the rest of the world over the 232 years of its existence. Debating and debunking all he has said is a topic for another day. However, as someone who claims to be a representative of Jesus Christ and a preacher of His Gospel, Reverend Wright leaves much to be desired. The Bible warns of a time when "men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths (2 Timothy 4:3-4)."
In my opinion, Reverend Wright fits the description of a teacher who says what people want to hear by lying to them through the advancement of myths. Wright preached in a church that was predominantly attended by members of the African-American community. There is no doubting the terrible history of slavery and racism that has affected members of that community, myself being one of them. Reverend Wright has played on the emotions created by that shared experience in order to advance a theology that does a disservice to both the African-American community and to our God. There are examples in the Bible of a wrathful God inflicting total and devastating destruction on nations for their disobedience, embracing of sin and worship of false gods. You have the global flood that destroyed all but eight people during the time of Noah (Genesis 7). There was the annihilation of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19). The entire army of Pharaoh, that followed the Israelites after they left Egypt, was destroyed in the Red Sea (Exodus 14). The use of Samson by God to kill countless Philistines (Judges 13-16). And there are many other illustrations of God's wrath. These types of examples serve as anecdotal evidence to be used by people like Reverend Wright to say that any perceived mass suffering endured by the United States is the wrath of God against our nation.
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the destruction of the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and similar disasters are said to be the result of God's anger against America for our "sins." Yet, these types of attacks and natural disasters happen all over the world and to a greater extent than they do here in the United States. Israelis, God's "chosen people," face daily terrorists attacks, missile attacks and threats from their enemies. The Tsunami of 2004 killed an estimated 250,000 people in and around the Indian Ocean. The "Great Sichuan Earthquake of 2008", killed 69,000 people in China. These unfortunate events happen all the time to all sorts of people all over the world. Is it God's wrath against them? Perhaps. But, it is most likely the effects of a sin cursed world where "the whole creation has been groaning (Romans 8:22)" and where men "are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know (Romans 3:15-17)." If God is "damning" America for some sort of evil it has perpetrated in the past, than Reverend Wright needs to answer for what "sins" did God "damn" African-Americans for when they were brutally enslaved for 400 years?
The fact is that there is not enough evidence to flatly say that God is damning America, or any other nation, for its perceived transgressions. Furthermore, God is not dealing with nations and countries, but rather with individuals. Jesus came into the world to "seek and to save what was lost (Luke 19:10)." When God judged nations and people in the Old Testament, the common denominator for doing so was their sins and unbelief. Rather than wiping out the world again, or large segments of its inhabitants, God sent Jesus Christ "who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)." God has already judged mankind. The verdict was guilty. The penalty was death. Jesus Christ took that penalty. There is none left for us to take. God has not destined us for wrath, but has rescued us from the wrath to come. This is a message of love and reconciliation that Christians are to proclaim to the entire world.
There is no love in the message of Reverend Wright, but there is definitely hatred, anger and a concerted effort to "promote controversies rather than God's work (1 Timothy 1:4)." That does not come from a person that has experienced the love of God through an encounter with Jesus Christ. We can't make the mistake of assuming that Reverend Wright's comments have any truth behind them or biblical merit. Just because someone claims to be a Christian does not mean that what they say is to be believed. There is, however, some benefit from listening to comments like his or those like him. Scripture warns us to be on guard against men who distort the truth in order to gather followers after them. When you listen to men like Reverend Wright speak be on guard. "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient (Ephesians 5:6)." The wrath of God is reserved for those who are disobedient to the message of love, unity and salvation found in Christ Jesus.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Confessing His life, not your sins
What do you do every night before you go to bed? If you're like many Christians you confess your sins to God to get forgiveness, to wake up with a clean slate in the morning. We all remember the classic prayer, said by children all over the world:
Now, I lay me down to sleep.
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
The pray is cute and may remind the one saying it of Jesus. In that sense, it has some merit. However, at the heart of the prayer is uncertainty about the eternal destination of the one saying it. As time goes on this prayer turns into a daily ritual of asking God to forgive our sins. In Luke 8, there is the story of Jesus healing a woman who had been sick for twelve years.
"As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. "Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you." But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me." Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." Luke 8:42-48
This particular passage struck a chord with a fellow Christian that made them utter the following prayer:
"Lord, make me like this woman, willing to confess, openly, truthfully, when I have sinned. Help me cry out for Your touch by being that honest, that real with You before others, not hiding my sin, but crashing through my pride and shame and touching You. For it is in that confession that You touch me, heal me, and give me the peace that only You can give."
When I read this I could see how it sounds good and could appeal to those that respond to what appears to be the heartfelt prayer of someone humbled by the actions of the woman healed when she touched the cloak of Jesus. But, what I also see is the prayer of an individual who is still stuck at the cross and hasn't made their way to the empty tomb. Confession means to acknowledge what we have done. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging a sin committed. However, you must go one step further and confess what God did with that sin. God put your sins behind His back saying, "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more (Hebrews 10:17)". Therefore, if you confess your sins to God, do so only as a means of admitting that you were not trusting Him at the time you committed that sin. Then approach God, in thankfulness for the forgiveness you have, to see why you weren't trusting Him when you sinned and allow Him to instruct you properly.
There is nothing holy or biblical about confessing sin in front of anybody unless it is to the individual you have sinned against. That is why James said, "confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed (James 5:16)." We forgive one another because we know that we have already been forgiven by God. It only makes sense to share with others that which we have received ourselves from God. Public confessions may make you look good in the eyes of churchgoers, but most of the time it only serves as an embarrassment to the one confessing. If God doesn't judge us for our sins any longer, we don't need to bring them up in public either. What we confess publicly is that "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them (2 Corinthians 5:19)," so that, raised from the dead, He could offer His life as a gift to all who come to faith in Christ.
We are already "holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation (Colossians 1:22)" because of our faith. We don't confess our sins to get touched by God, healed by Him, or live in peace. We are already more than touched by God because His very life indwells each of us. We have been healed of our spiritual death because of His resurrected life in us. And because of our faith "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1)." Our sins are no longer an issue between us and God. He no longer judges us based on sin and death. He judges us based on a new life in Christ. And in that life, we have forgiveness of sins as an inheritance for our faith. Just as Paul begged the Corinthian church to be reconciled to God, I do the same. Be reconciled to God. A Christian lives by faith and not from sin to sin. We need to tell the whole world that forgiveness is already available to them, but that they have a bigger problem than their sins. They are dead spiritually and in need of life. And the only life available to them is found in Christ. "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22)."
Christians need to recognize the fact that they are already forgiven by God. If they don't they will never experience His love and will struggle to grow in their relationship with Him. You can't approach God if you feel your sins still separate you from Him and that you need to perform a sacrifice to appease Him. "And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:18)." There is no more sacrifice for sin. Christ died once and for all to bring us to God. Your confession, public or otherwise, is not necessary and, definitely, not accepted by God. Our public confession should be that of the forgiveness and life found only in Christ. It is time we move past our sins and into the new life we have in Christ. Otherwise, we will never know God, and possibly, never be known by Him.
Now, I lay me down to sleep.
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
The pray is cute and may remind the one saying it of Jesus. In that sense, it has some merit. However, at the heart of the prayer is uncertainty about the eternal destination of the one saying it. As time goes on this prayer turns into a daily ritual of asking God to forgive our sins. In Luke 8, there is the story of Jesus healing a woman who had been sick for twelve years.
"As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. "Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you." But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me." Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." Luke 8:42-48
This particular passage struck a chord with a fellow Christian that made them utter the following prayer:
"Lord, make me like this woman, willing to confess, openly, truthfully, when I have sinned. Help me cry out for Your touch by being that honest, that real with You before others, not hiding my sin, but crashing through my pride and shame and touching You. For it is in that confession that You touch me, heal me, and give me the peace that only You can give."
When I read this I could see how it sounds good and could appeal to those that respond to what appears to be the heartfelt prayer of someone humbled by the actions of the woman healed when she touched the cloak of Jesus. But, what I also see is the prayer of an individual who is still stuck at the cross and hasn't made their way to the empty tomb. Confession means to acknowledge what we have done. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging a sin committed. However, you must go one step further and confess what God did with that sin. God put your sins behind His back saying, "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more (Hebrews 10:17)". Therefore, if you confess your sins to God, do so only as a means of admitting that you were not trusting Him at the time you committed that sin. Then approach God, in thankfulness for the forgiveness you have, to see why you weren't trusting Him when you sinned and allow Him to instruct you properly.
There is nothing holy or biblical about confessing sin in front of anybody unless it is to the individual you have sinned against. That is why James said, "confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed (James 5:16)." We forgive one another because we know that we have already been forgiven by God. It only makes sense to share with others that which we have received ourselves from God. Public confessions may make you look good in the eyes of churchgoers, but most of the time it only serves as an embarrassment to the one confessing. If God doesn't judge us for our sins any longer, we don't need to bring them up in public either. What we confess publicly is that "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them (2 Corinthians 5:19)," so that, raised from the dead, He could offer His life as a gift to all who come to faith in Christ.
We are already "holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation (Colossians 1:22)" because of our faith. We don't confess our sins to get touched by God, healed by Him, or live in peace. We are already more than touched by God because His very life indwells each of us. We have been healed of our spiritual death because of His resurrected life in us. And because of our faith "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1)." Our sins are no longer an issue between us and God. He no longer judges us based on sin and death. He judges us based on a new life in Christ. And in that life, we have forgiveness of sins as an inheritance for our faith. Just as Paul begged the Corinthian church to be reconciled to God, I do the same. Be reconciled to God. A Christian lives by faith and not from sin to sin. We need to tell the whole world that forgiveness is already available to them, but that they have a bigger problem than their sins. They are dead spiritually and in need of life. And the only life available to them is found in Christ. "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22)."
Christians need to recognize the fact that they are already forgiven by God. If they don't they will never experience His love and will struggle to grow in their relationship with Him. You can't approach God if you feel your sins still separate you from Him and that you need to perform a sacrifice to appease Him. "And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:18)." There is no more sacrifice for sin. Christ died once and for all to bring us to God. Your confession, public or otherwise, is not necessary and, definitely, not accepted by God. Our public confession should be that of the forgiveness and life found only in Christ. It is time we move past our sins and into the new life we have in Christ. Otherwise, we will never know God, and possibly, never be known by Him.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
"Level" Playing Field
There is no question that our ability to learn and apply what we learn effects our success in areas of our lives such as school and on the job. If you don't learn the curriculum you will flunk out of class. If you don't become proficient at your trade you will find yourself unemployed. However, does our salvation depend on what the "level" of maturity we reach in our walk with the Lord? The following inquiry was made recently by a Christian trying to hash out this question in their mind. My thoughts follow.
"We are all at different "levels" in our walk with God. Some have been Christians for many years, have studied the Bible extensively, have been pastors or preachers for a lifetime. Others, however may be new to Christ. Perhaps because of how and when they found Christ they are not particularly au fait with His teachings. Perhaps because of their background, IQ, traditions, denominations, taught beliefs; their view of Christianity does not completely match, or is perhaps at odds, with your view of Christianity. Through no fault of their own they have been taught about Christ differently from you. You may well feel that their practice of Christianity is wrong - and you may well be right in that belief. So how does that affect their entry into Heaven compared to yours?
Is there only one way to Heaven?
I know about: Jesus answered him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me." John 14:6.
This is not a debate about this. It's more general about how people are taught and how they practice Christianity." (sic)
Our salvation has nothing to do with our "level" of Christianity, how we "practice" our faith or anything at all to do with us and what we do. The only thing that matters is faith in Christ that expresses itself through love. And we cannot love others apart from understanding that God first loved us (1 John 4:19). Apollos had to have the "way of God" explained more "adequately" (Acts 18:26). Paul, James, Peter and John had disagreements to the point where Paul exclaimed that they "added nothing to my message (Galatians 2:6)." It took Peter until Acts 11 before he realized a Gentile could be saved without first becoming a Jew (Acts 11:16). In Acts 15 you see believers arguing that one couldn't be saved unless they were circumcised "according to the custom taught by Moses (Acts 15:1)." It is no different today with the myriad of different denominations all claiming to have discovered the right way of doing something. And all you see is so-called Christians arguing over what they have added to the Gospel; water baptism, speaking in tongues, church membership, loss of salvation and so on. The beat goes on and on.
In all this, Christians must understand that God does have an opinion on the matter and He wants to teach us Himself in the power of the Holy Spirit. While he does give "some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service (Acts 4:11-12)," it is the Holy Spirit that leads us into all truth. The fact that we can even have a thread inquiring about if the "levels" of Christianity can affect our salvation is evidence of the misunderstanding of Gospel that permeates the Body of Christ.
We couldn't save ourselves by what we did prior to coming to faith in Christ and we can't sustain our salvation by what we do after coming to Christ. It is God, "who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Corinthians 1:9)," who is faithful. The fact that God has "given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3)" and "who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)" should be proof that our maturity has nothing to do with our salvation. Our maturity has everything to do with understanding what our salvation is how to "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16)." Otherwise we are cursed to judge each other by the perceived "level" of Christianity we believe ourselves to have reached. And when we judge each other there are only two outcomes. We are either better than somebody else which is pride. Or we are worse than somebody else which is self-condemnation. Both of them originate from the pit of Hell.
Thankfully, in the midst of all this God is still able to reach the lost with the truth of the Gospel. God doesn't need our ability, or "level" of Christianity, He only needs our availability. When we equate our "level" of Christianity to our salvation, we have totally missed the point. We can take a lesson from Paul who said he considered, "everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord (Philippians 3:8)."
"We are all at different "levels" in our walk with God. Some have been Christians for many years, have studied the Bible extensively, have been pastors or preachers for a lifetime. Others, however may be new to Christ. Perhaps because of how and when they found Christ they are not particularly au fait with His teachings. Perhaps because of their background, IQ, traditions, denominations, taught beliefs; their view of Christianity does not completely match, or is perhaps at odds, with your view of Christianity. Through no fault of their own they have been taught about Christ differently from you. You may well feel that their practice of Christianity is wrong - and you may well be right in that belief. So how does that affect their entry into Heaven compared to yours?
Is there only one way to Heaven?
I know about: Jesus answered him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me." John 14:6.
This is not a debate about this. It's more general about how people are taught and how they practice Christianity." (sic)
Our salvation has nothing to do with our "level" of Christianity, how we "practice" our faith or anything at all to do with us and what we do. The only thing that matters is faith in Christ that expresses itself through love. And we cannot love others apart from understanding that God first loved us (1 John 4:19). Apollos had to have the "way of God" explained more "adequately" (Acts 18:26). Paul, James, Peter and John had disagreements to the point where Paul exclaimed that they "added nothing to my message (Galatians 2:6)." It took Peter until Acts 11 before he realized a Gentile could be saved without first becoming a Jew (Acts 11:16). In Acts 15 you see believers arguing that one couldn't be saved unless they were circumcised "according to the custom taught by Moses (Acts 15:1)." It is no different today with the myriad of different denominations all claiming to have discovered the right way of doing something. And all you see is so-called Christians arguing over what they have added to the Gospel; water baptism, speaking in tongues, church membership, loss of salvation and so on. The beat goes on and on.
In all this, Christians must understand that God does have an opinion on the matter and He wants to teach us Himself in the power of the Holy Spirit. While he does give "some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service (Acts 4:11-12)," it is the Holy Spirit that leads us into all truth. The fact that we can even have a thread inquiring about if the "levels" of Christianity can affect our salvation is evidence of the misunderstanding of Gospel that permeates the Body of Christ.
We couldn't save ourselves by what we did prior to coming to faith in Christ and we can't sustain our salvation by what we do after coming to Christ. It is God, "who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Corinthians 1:9)," who is faithful. The fact that God has "given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3)" and "who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)" should be proof that our maturity has nothing to do with our salvation. Our maturity has everything to do with understanding what our salvation is how to "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16)." Otherwise we are cursed to judge each other by the perceived "level" of Christianity we believe ourselves to have reached. And when we judge each other there are only two outcomes. We are either better than somebody else which is pride. Or we are worse than somebody else which is self-condemnation. Both of them originate from the pit of Hell.
Thankfully, in the midst of all this God is still able to reach the lost with the truth of the Gospel. God doesn't need our ability, or "level" of Christianity, He only needs our availability. When we equate our "level" of Christianity to our salvation, we have totally missed the point. We can take a lesson from Paul who said he considered, "everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord (Philippians 3:8)."
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